2021 DEAN’S REVIEW
DEAN’S MESSAGE In spring 2012, while interviewing for the Charles L. Boppell Dean position, I was asked in a public forum what I thought about the value of AACSB accreditation. Despite involvement in the initial accreditation efforts at previous institutions, I surprised myself, and no doubt others, with my answer. I said, “I’m a bit agnostic about it.” At the time I believed that accreditation could be achieved by checking all the right boxes, without really engaging in the goal of becoming a truly excellent business school. Notwithstanding my candor, I was hired with the charge of getting Whitworth University accredited. After eight years of preparation, the Whitworth School of Business experienced the initial accreditation visit from a peer review team through videoconference and was subsequently awarded accreditation by the AACSB Board of Directors. If I were asked about the value of AACSB accreditation today, my answer would be unhesitatingly positive. The process of becoming accredited can be used to bring about excellence, and in the case of the WSB, excellence has been achieved. How challenging is it to become accredited by AACSB? I am sure that for many business schools the process truly is an arduous, uphill struggle. After all, there are multiple standards involving curriculum improvement, faculty qualifications and community engagement. However, for the WSB the accreditation journey really was not all that difficult. This is because the faculty and staff of the School of Business, along with President Beck A. Taylor and thenProvost Carol Simon, supported the effort 100 percent. Plus, several faculty members dedicated long hours to the project, first and foremost of whom was Assistant Professor Tara Lambert, joined by Associate Professor Dawn Keig and Associate Professor Robin Henager. In addition, Tara Tucker did an outstanding job coordinating the visit. Helping us along was our assigned mentor, Bob Scherer, Ph.D., the business school dean at Trinity University in San Antonio. Bob held our feet to the fire the whole way through.
Having achieved AACSB accreditation, the faculty and staff of the WSB are germinating new ideas about how best to educate and prepare students for their professions and lives of service. With the help of our dedicated Business Advisory Board, we will soon develop a new strategic plan to expand our reach in undergraduate, graduate and executive education. In addition to the accreditation, this past year has been a year of innovation, from hybrid instruction to mock interviews and career treks through videoconferencing. Despite economic challenges, canceled internships were replaced with remote opportunities for students and 96 percent of WSB graduates secured employment or pursued graduate school. I hope that you will enjoy reading this issue of the Dean’s Review.
Tim Wilkinson, Ph.D. Professor and Charles L. Boppell Dean
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CFA
After six consecutive years of winning first place in the regional Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Research Challenge, the Whitworth Student Investment Group ran a mock CFA competition internally. Two student teams were coached by Kyle Schmit ’21 and Gabriel Morales ’21, two members of the previous year’s winning team.
CONTENTS 2
DEAN’S MESSAGE
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YEAR IN REVIEW
6 MBA 7
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
10 WOMEN IN FINANCE 11 MARKETING INTERNSHIPS 12 AACSB 14 FACULTY & STAFF HIGHLIGHTS 15 ADVISORY BOARD
On the cover: Women in Finance – Page 10 Women in Finance members Valerie Kremer ’22 and Madison Bosma ’22 collaborate in the trading room.
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YEAR IN REVIEW
BALANCE YOUR BUCS
STCU donated a golf cart for Balance Your Bucs to use to promote the program’s workshops, Prime Times, trivia nights and budgeting simulations. Balance Your Bucs student coordinators drive the Cash Cart around campus and offer rides to students. They ask a personal finance question, and for each question answered correctly, students win a coffee card. “Originally, Balance Your Bucs borrowed a golf cart from another department,” says Associate Professor Robin Henager, the club’s faculty advisor. “We are excited to have our own so we can use it in more ways, more often.” VIRTUAL CAREER TREKS
Sixteen WSB Virtual Career Treks connected students with alumni to learn about companies such as Google, Nike, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Avista, Zillow, Slack, Twilio and GitLab. Sessions were either companyspecific or focused on job roles like sales, product management, product marketing and communications. “These treks offer tons of valuable insight and demystify technical titles like ‘solutions delivery’ and ‘program manager,’” says Tim Tran ’21. “Each company has their own intricacies, and although some speakers hold similar titles, their roles and methods of tackling their responsibilities are unique. I’m learning a lot about how to apply my skills in the workplace moving forward.” SUN VALLEY EXCURSION
The MBA program facilitated its seventh Entrepreneurship & New Venture Creation Excursion to Sun Valley, Idaho. The MBA’s semiannual excursions are off-campus sections of the entrepreneurship course that bring business students and business leaders together. In a weeklong facilitated seminar, students learn and collaborate with Fortune 500 leaders to understand the foundations and best practices of entrepreneurial thinking, innovation and mindful leadership through change.
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EXCEL CRASH COURSE
Thirty WSB students enrolled in Wall Street Prep’s Excel Crash Course and certification program to increase their financial modeling knowledge and abilities. “Getting free access to the Excel crash course was an asset that I didn’t fully understand the value of until I began using it,” Chance Curry ’22 says. “As a finance student, the course has massively boosted my efficiency in Excel due to its focus on keystrokes. I love working in Excel now because I can focus on the information I’m analyzing rather than the usage of the software.” PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS
Professional headshots were offered to WSB students for use in elevating their professionalism online. “Having the opportunity to have professional headshots taken while I was still in school made me feel like I was truly stepping into the professional transition from being a student to being a part of the workforce, which was exciting,” Gracey Gonzalez ’21 says. “Being able to update my LinkedIn profile with my new photo prompted me to be more eager for sending out connection invites and applying to jobs, because I felt like I had a profile that I wanted people to see.”
BETA GAMMA SIGMA
The WSB was approved to start a chapter of the Beta Gamma Sigma international business honors society, an exclusive opportunity for AACSB-accredited schools to recognize their top-performing students. Launching the chapter unites all three of Whitworth’s business programs around academic excellence, and we inducted 14 BBA, 14 MBA and nine continuing studies students during the chapter’s inaugural year.
WHITWORTH STARTUP
Four teams of interdisciplinary students participated in the second annual Whitworth StartUp competition in a weekend of competitive entrepreneurship. Business coaches and judges supported the students as they transformed their business ideas into reality. Teams collaborated virtually, enabling remote students to participate with their oncampus teammates from as far away as Nigeria and the Philippines. 5
COMMUNITY-MINDED MBA Forms Successful Partnership With United Way Emerging Leaders Society In 2016, the Whitworth MBA program identified among its cohorts of students a growing number of business professionals who, as a complement to their academic study, sought opportunities to serve their community in positions of service-minded leadership. Over time, the MBA faculty noticed a pattern in the ways students chose to give back to their community. “We were delighted to discover that in 2017, organically and through authentic connections, a third of the board members for the Spokane County United Way Emerging Leaders Society (ELS) were Whitworth MBA alumni,” says Sinead Voorhees, assistant dean of the Graduate Studies in Business program. “We knew that if our alumni were naturally gravitating toward this network, then we wanted to start investing in that network in an intentional way.” The MBA program envisioned a relationship with the Emerging Leaders Society that would foster purposedriven investment in the Spokane community. It initiated a partnership for targeted recruitment within the ELS, identifying professionals who demonstrated the community values and commitments shared between the Whitworth MBA program and the ELS. Current ELS members are encouraged to connect with MBA alumni to discover the benefits and special admissions privileges of this partnership, and current MBA students are
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encouraged to explore opportunities to serve within the ELS. The mutual benefits of this partnership manifested immediately. In fall 2017, the MBA program welcomed Kami Winfrey ’20, director of technical services at PotlatchDeltic, and Michael Truex ’19, manager of generation project management at Avista, both active members of the ELS and exemplary community servants. In 2019, Winfrey received the MBA Alumni Society Award in recognition of her contributions to the MBA program’s legacy of service to the community. Truex is currently serving as president-elect of the Whitworth MBA Alumni Society Board. Beyond a recruitment model, the MBA partnership with the ELS is a relationship that encourages personal and professional growth in multiple directions. By emphasizing the shared values between higher education and community service, this partnership aims to cultivate a new wave of skilled, knowledgeable and passionate leaders of character. Since 2017, 20 students affiliated with the ELS have graduated from the Whitworth MBA program. The percentage of Whitworth MBA graduates on the ELS board has increased to 50 percent.
IN IT TOGETHER
Cohort Model Key to Adult Students’ Success The Whitworth School of Continuing Studies is a launchpad for career changes and promotions – a first step for those seeking to advance their careers or to finish what they started. Each cohort of students converges for a season of growth and support that continues long after graduation, as Cohort 40’s Andy Patrick ’17 and Carmen Murphy ’17 can attest. “I enrolled in the organizational management program while working a full-time job and part-time job, volunteering with nonprofits, and raising three young boys,” Patrick says. “After about a year into the cohort, I became overwhelmed.” Christie Anderson, director of evening business Patrick programs, invited Patrick to her office. “Not only did she encourage me not to quit, but she helped me adjust my schedule to a manageable load,” Patrick says. “I also talked with classmates who helped where they could.” Patrick’s classmate Murphy can relate. “The support of my cohort was invaluable; I still consider them family,” she says. “We grew together through learning at Whitworth but also saw each other through many life events as well. I found lifelong friends through my Whitworth cohort.” She
also keeps in touch with Anderson and the instructors who care for her success outside of class. “These relationships give me the support to thrive,” she says. Murphy’s degree contributed to an exciting promotion at work and more. “I’m on track to Murphy graduate this year with my master’s degree in organizational leadership, which wouldn’t have been possible without the foundation I got at Whitworth and discovering my passion for organizational success,” she says. Patrick went on to graduate from law school and receive his bar number and now works as a district court deputy prosecutor. “Whitworth exceeded my expectations,” he says. “If I had gone to any other college, I would not have made it.” “The unique attribute of the cohort model is the supportive environment it creates,” Anderson says. Students come to Whitworth for a business degree and find themselves in a group of peers, all seeking self-fulfillment, who become a united force. Anderson says, “This particular group finished as one of the strongest, most committed units I’ve seen.”
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
CYNTHIA ANKER ’18 Tax Senior Associate, BDO People say this again and again, but it is all about who you know. Having connections has proved pivotal to me in all of my post-college jobs, and especially for my current role. The most rewarding part of being a tax senior is not always about the work I do for clients, rather the work I can do within the firm. Moving up in the firm has shown me the rewarding work of passing on the tax knowledge to newer associates and interns. I remember how grateful I was when other associates, senior associates and managers would take time to explain a concept or walk me through a return when I was starting out in my job. Now I am in the position where I can pass my knowledge on to newer staff and help them grow within their roles. Ultimately, the time I spend teaching others is beneficial not only for them, but for myself and the firm as well.
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MATT BENSCOTER ’09 Director of Finance, Distribution Support & Reporting, Nationwide In six short years, I’ve been fortunate enough to gain a breadth of experience at Nationwide Insurance. After finishing my MBA, I joined Nationwide through a finance-focused leadership program and spent two years rotating through four different roles supporting various parts of the organization. Since finishing that program, I’ve supported our property and casualty business in three different capacities: strategic planning for our commercial businesses, financial reporting and catastrophe planning, and my current role, leading a team focused on supporting our sales organization through analytics and reporting. I love being part of a company that protects the things that matter most. We don’t sell widgets – we sell a promise that brings peace of mind to our customers. Seeing how we respond to crises and support our customers and communities reminds me of the importance of my work. I’ve been able to guide executive-level decision-making during my time at Nationwide and help position us to better serve our customers.
CHASE RAMEY ’13 Director of Finance at Organifi; Co-Founder & Co-Host of The Medicin Podcast My finance role in a startup actually shares many similarities to what I do as an entrepreneur and podcast host. It all comes down to setting a business intention or a goal, then managing the balance between the push and pull of initiatives – balancing the stress of team members and finances while tracking and interpreting our efforts to frequently and accurately assess where we’re at compared to our intentions and goals. In my experience, business is about finding and managing equilibrium. As I began working in the health and wellness space, between the superfood supplements at Organifi and the internal culture of personal development, my own personal health was transformed, most significantly along the lines of mindset, emotional and spiritual health. Additionally, as a host of The Medicin Podcast, we promote and educate listeners on the importance of holistic health. Beyond my own transformation, what is even more rewarding to witness is the transformation in the lives of those who buy Organifi and who listen to our podcast.
KATRINA (BAYENS) BOUCHEE ’09 Director of Finance, Zillow Group While my major might be the basis of my work, the day-to-day of any job is so much more than that, and having a well-rounded education with a variety of classes helped prepare me for that. Additionally, Whitworth helped me learn how to present myself and communicate effectively – an ability to concisely present something is one of the most important skills in business. After working for a few years as a public accountant, I transitioned roles into a more business-focused, forward-looking position in finance. As Zillow’s director of finance, I develop financial expectations that assist leaders in making near- and long-term decisions. A deep understanding of the business is key to my role, and I spend most of my time working with many talented and creative people with drastically different skill sets than mine. Financial plans are informed by so many decisions across all departments within a company, and it’s rewarding and enjoyable to be a part of those conversations.
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BALANCING THE
NUMBERS
Women in Finance Club Works to Break Gender Barriers
By Katherine Graf ’22 and Maya Moggia ’22
Despite global efforts to improve the gender gap in companies, many industries, like finance, remain maledominated, particularly at leadership levels. One driving factor of this gap, as noted by research, is confidence with technical, quantitative skills. The newest School of Business club, Women in Finance (WIF), is led by a group of female students working to break that barrier for our and future generations. WIF is a peer-taught program that builds students’ analytical and technical skills in a close-knit, supportive environment by meeting weekly to learn about a topic and then tackle problems hands-on to apply the techniques. The curriculum is chosen, developed and taught by students. Last fall’s topics, taught by Gracie Pfau ’21 and Alyssa Peterson ’21, centered on financial statement analysis, with skill development workshops to navigate the Form 10-K. Last spring’s curriculum started with advanced Excel skills (keyboard shortcuts only – no mouse clicks!). In collaboration with Whitworth’s computer science department, it proceeded into a unit on Python programming, a skill highly sought after in quantitative industries like finance. 10
One goal of WIF is to respect and appreciate the trailblazers who came before us, so the club instituted a weekly “Wonder Women” activity where members take turns opening each meeting with a short presentation on an inspiring, barrier-breaking woman in business or finance. Surprisingly, the members of WIF are not all finance majors or women. About half of the participants represent other areas, including accounting, management and even biochemistry. Some male students also attend WIF meetings. They are equally interested in supporting gender equity in the workplace and refining their analytical and technical skills. WIF faculty advisor Dawn Keig says, “I am so proud to support these amazing students who are willing to put in the work to enhance their confidence through increased competence. The peer support evident in the room as the club works through challenging problems is a true example of our mind-and-heart education.”
MARKETING INTERNS GET
CREATIVE By Christina Worotikan ’21
During the 2020-21 academic year, my fellow business students and I faced the challenge of gaining internship experience during a global pandemic. At the same time, businesses recognized the need to elevate their online presence, generating timely opportunities for marketing students to fill that demand. With creativity and perseverance, students found success in working remotely, often for the first time. William Skalstad ’21 says his social media marketing internship with Golden SHERPA was just like everything else last year – different. The opportunity to work with a business startup pushed him to adapt to a new environment. “I learned to apply my knowledge as a marketing student to effectively reach customers in our target market,” he says. Skalstad found success by taking joy in small breakthroughs and developing his design skills. When looking back on his mostly online internship experience, Wyatt Watkins ’22 found support in his Whitworth friends and Associate Professor of Management & Marketing David Sloan. “My job consisted mostly of looking at the presence that Olde Tyme Spirits had online and creating better alternatives to what was
already there,” he says. Watkins sought feedback from his Whitworth community and, being the only intern, had the opportunity to work closely with the distillery’s owner to learn about the heart and soul of the company to inform his work. For me, I became the first intern for the Whitworth School of Business under Addie Grow, assistant director of internships & external relations. Due to increased remote learning, I was tasked with taking charge of the WSB’s social media presence to communicate essential information to students through our revamped Instagram and LinkedIn pages. Our social media presence became a vital way to build community through videos and posts featuring WSB faculty and staff, club leaders, and alumni. I utilized strategies learned in class to create engaging content, picking up new skills along the way, which is exactly what an internship should do. 11
ACHIEVING THE
GOLD STANDARD School of Business Awarded AACSB Accreditation The WSB achieved initial accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) on Nov. 30, 2020. Only 5 percent of business schools worldwide have reached what is widely considered the “gold standard of business accreditation.”
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In 2011, the Whitworth Board of Trustees named the pursuit of accreditation by the AACSB as a strategic priority for the university. In 2012, Tim Wilkinson was hired to serve as the Charles L. Boppell Dean with the primary responsibility of developing the school in pursuit of accreditation. Supported by the board of trustees, President Beck Taylor, then-Provost Carol Simon and other academic leaders, the WSB thrived, emerging as a school that values not only excellence in teaching but also research and service to the larger community.
in order to meet AACSB qualification standards, and an excellent administrative team was built to execute policies and decisions made through the cooperative efforts of the faculty and administration. To create a culture of highquality research, the school implemented annual faculty research workshops and encouraged several faculty members to complete doctoral degrees while teaching full time. As a result, all faculty members began publishing research in well-respected, peer-reviewed journals. The WSB established an Assurance of Learning Committee to analyze the learning goals across the curriculum. This committee worked closely with the faculty to make strong curriculum revisions. An assistant dean was appointed to lead the accreditation efforts, Assurance of Learning Committee, and the final report submitted to the AACSB.
During the subsequent eight years, the faculty, which had previously focused exclusively on teaching, became active scholars with research published in high-quality journals. In addition, new staff and faculty members were hired
Reflecting upon the beginning of the accreditation process, Wilkinson says, “Rather than viewing accreditation as hoops to jump through, we took the process seriously, and strove to become better teachers
“As the WSB has focused on continuous improvement, the faculty have grown, not only in their research productivity, but also in their teaching.” Assistant Dean Robin Henager
and scholars.” In one of their first meetings, Taylor told Wilkinson that he viewed accreditation as “a continuous improvement process,” and that while he knew it would take time, he and the university’s trustees were fully behind the effort. Initial accreditation required the WSB to meet 14 standards regarding curriculum improvement, faculty qualifications and strategic planning. The peer review team that visited Whitworth through Zoom in September 2020 was impressed with what it found. “We sensed a very engaged community at WSB,” the team stated in its final report. “Faculty and staff are very dedicated to the student-centered teaching mission and have a very collegial and tight community working environment. And, students very much treasure the close faculty-student interactions and relationships.” Included in the report by the Initial Accreditation Committee were a number of commendations for strengths, unique features and effective practices. The
peer review team notes that the WSB did “a fantastic job integrating faith and learning through various courses and program learning goals, including ethics.” It also recognizes that the School of Business “set a high scholarship bar by requiring PRJs (academic articles) to be included in the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) list or a scholarship review committee approved list.” Further the team states, “This is a major achievement for a school whose traditional focus is on teaching, rather than research.” The accreditation journey has been transformational for the WSB and, more importantly, for the individual faculty members and students. Assistant Dean Robin Henager says, “As the WSB has focused on continuous improvement, the faculty have grown, not only in their research productivity, but also in their teaching. The school has created a cohesive curriculum that engages students and faculty alike. Students are excited and proud to be able to list their business administration degree as AACSB-accredited.”
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FACULTY & STAFF HIGHLIGHTS
Gregor Thuswaldner joined Whitworth as provost & executive vice president in July 2020. Thuswaldner holds degrees in German and English studies and a Ph.D. in German literature from the University of North Carolina. While he was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at North Park University in Chicago, he obtained an additional master’s in higher education administration through North Park’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management and a leadership principles certificate through Harvard Business School.
Christie Anderson, associate dean of the School of Continuing Studies & director of evening business programs, retired last summer after starting her career at Whitworth in 2001, when she welcomed 14
Cohort 10 into the organizational management program. In February 2021, she oversaw the launch of Cohort 51 in the newly named business management program. “I’ve loved seeing the continuing studies students use their education to expand their horizons,” she says. Anderson was also instrumental in hiring many faculty members and lecturers, playing a major role in shaping a more rigorous business degree in the continuing studies program. “I am satisfied to have seen this nontraditional program become accredited by the AACSB,” she says, “and I am looking forward to finding out what it’s like to be retired!”
Visiting Instructor John Hengesh retired last spring. After building a career in the high-technology sector through positions at Itron Inc. and Purcell Systems, he joined Whitworth University in 2005 as an adjunct instructor for the continuing studies program. Hengesh became a lecturer in 2008 for the School of Business and earned the Contingent Faculty Award in 2009. He served as the director of the Graduate Studies in Business program from 2010 to 2017. “My years in the Whitworth School of Business are filled with remarkable experiences and cherished memories,” he says.
“The evolutionary transformation of the school has been a great process in which I feel lucky to have participated.” Hengesh looks forward to retired days with his wife, Karen, on the lake and rivers with their beloved dogs.
Kunal Chopra, CEO of Spokane Valley-based Kaspien, has joined the School of Business as an adjunct faculty member and Business Advisory Board member. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to teach at Whitworth, a university that prides itself on combining academic and practical education. In my course, students will be building real businesses in the classroom,” Chopra says. A strong proponent of education, entrepreneurship, tech and business, Chopra is a former Microsoft, Amazon and Groupon executive and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and M.S. in computer science from Clemson University. He is the author of several books and an investor and operator in several startups.
HOYT HUMPHREYS (H.H. LARRY) LARISON President, Columbia Management Systems Larry Larison died Dec. 11, 2020. His passing leaves WSB students, faculty, staff and advisory board members greatly saddened. Larry was an incredible support to the School of Business, having served for many years on the WSB Advisory Board as well as funded the trading room. He was a valued strategic partner of the WSB and very much cared about student success. Larry is missed and will be remembered.
WSB ADVISORY BOARD 2020-21 GREGG AMEND ’97 Spokane Partner in Charge Moss Adams LLP
DAVID KIMMET ’98 President Rehn & Associates
BARBARA RICHTER ’77 Retired, Center of Excellence Leader Procter & Gamble
DARIA BROWN ’98 CPA Fruci & Associates, PS
JAMES KING ’12 Audit Manager Deloitte
KEN ROBERTS ’68 Chief Investment Strategist Palouse Capital Management
RANDY CLARK Consultant
RAY LAWTON Business Transition Specialist Lawton Printing
DAVE ROGERS Retired, General Manager – Climate Change Chevron Corp.
BILL CONDON ’03 Managing Director Colliers International BILL CURRY ’73 Board Chair Huntron Instruments MARTY DICKINSON Chief Marketing Officer STCU Marketing PETER ENKEMA ’69 Sales Associate Coldwell Banker Tomlinson ANDREW ERICKSON ’84 Retired, Sales Representative/Partner Washington Fruit & Produce Co. KRISTIN GOFF President Wendle Motors Inc. BOB INGERSOLL ’67 Retired, Corporate VP – Contracts & Pricing Boeing
JENNIFER LEHN VP Products & External Development Numerica Credit Union DANIEL MAHONEY Retired, CEO Fastor Systems (acquired by Smart Modular Technology) JIM MASTERSON CEO LightEdge Solutions TIM MITROVICH ’01 CEO/Chief Investment Officer Ten Capital HOLLY MONTGOMERY VP/Wealth Management Banker US Bank OCTAVIO MORALES Retired, CEO Tierpoint TRAVIS PREWITT ’73 President of Investments UBS Financial Services Inc.
DAN SANFORD ’65 Emeritus Professor, International Management Whitworth University KUNAL CHOPRA CEO Kaspien FRED STOCKTON Retired, Global Service Line Director Keywords Studios AARON VACCARO ’14 Investment Analyst WestRiver Group TIM WILKINSON Charles L. Boppell Dean School of Business Whitworth University TAUDD HUME ’94 Attorney Witherspoon Brajcich Mcphee
CAROLYN KADYK ’03 Executive Director MultiCare INW Foundation
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