Chair
Verizon
Jason is the Verizon public policy and community affairs director for eastern Washington and Idaho. He started his career with the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in California, where he coordinated more than 30 projects and acquired over 150 properties. Later, Jason moved to Spokane where he accepted a position with Bonneville Power Administration. Here, he had numerous responsibilities in the Federal Land Management department, including filing the necessary federal land permits in over 50 different county, city, and federal agencies and municipalities covering three different states. In 2017, Jason moved into the wireless industry to work with local and state agencies across Washington and Idaho to develop small cell deployment processes, wireless ordinances, and partnership agreements to help cities and communities access and develop technology.
Treasurer
Itron (Retired)
Rich Christensen has been a senior vice president of global research and development at Itron, Inc. since 2013. He has been responsible for developing and supporting numerous product lines and solutions for each of the company’s business segments and regions since joining Itron in 1995, including software applications and electricity, gas, and water meters and communications modules. Prior to Itron, Rich he served as a senior engineer and project lead for Motorola’s Government Electronics Group in Scottsdale, Arizona. In this role, he developed and supported various radio products for both military and commercial customers. He received a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he focused on electromagnetic waves and antenna design. Rich’s post-graduate work at Arizona State University was focused on antenna and radio frequency circuit design.
Director
Avista
Latisha Hill is Vice President, of Community Affairs and Chief Customer Officer at Avista. In this role, Latisha is responsible for overseeing teams in customer care and experience, energy efficiency, business & public affairs, communications, products and services, customer facing technology, credit and collections, social impact, energy assistance, Tribal relations, and our Avista Foundation. Latisha also serves as SVP of Avista Development, a subsidiary of Avista, where she is responsible for economic impact initiatives as well as the structuring and leading of public private partnerships. Hill is a Spokane local and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington State University and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Washington University. She is an accredited facilitator and has completed the Willamette Executive Utility Management Program as well as Finance for Executives course work at Wharton Business School. She is passionate about community service and has given her time and energy to many boards and committees including the Group Health Foundation, the Washington State Transportation Commission, Visit Spokane, Greater Spokane Inc., Washington State Opportunity Scholars, advisory councils for the University of Washington School of Medicine and Gonzaga University Health Partnership Advisory Board and Washington State University. Latisha has been recognized twice as a “Top 20 under 40 business leaders” by Catalyst Magazine.
Director
Foster Garvey, PC
Dan Wadkins serves as a Principal in the Business & Corporate Finance practice group of Foster Garvey, PC in Spokane. Wadkins brings a broad range of corporate, securities and finance, commercial transactions and intellectual property experience to the firm, along with a passion for helping emerging companies navigate the complex business and legal landscape through every stage of the business lifecycle. He is recognized as a leading corporate attorney among emerging startup companies in the Pacific Northwest.
Secretary, Ex-Officio
Lukins & Annis
Paul M. Davis is an attorney at Lukins & Annis, where he specializes in entity formation, governance, acquisitions, and financing. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Economics from Pomona College and both a J.D. and M.B.A. from the College of William & Mary. Recognized as a “Rising Star” by Washington Law & Politics and listed in Best Lawyers in America, Davis also serves as a director for various organizations, including Academics Are Cool and the YMCA of the Inland Northwest.
Director
Avista (Retired)
Mr. Gibson has over three decades of utility energy industry experience focused primarily on renewable energy investments. Under this portfolio, Mr. Gibson has led efforts in energy storage assets, microgrids, energy districts and resilience stations to support client requirements around resiliency, energy security and clean energy. Mr. Gibson was also co-founder of INTENT a regional energy ecosystem focused on first generation energy innovation deployments in the region. Mr. Gibson strength lies in his ability to synthesize a strategic energy vision aligned with communities cultural and economic values. Mr. Gibson leverages his extensive energy experience to deliver pragmatic outcomes which serve regional goals and aspirations.
Director
McKinstry
With over 30 years of industry experience, Dale is responsible for growing and evolving McKinstry’s energy asset development, energy efficiency, renewables, and high-performance built environment businesses across Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. He leads development, consulting and project teams to deliver innovative, long-term, and sustainable solutions to clients across many industries and markets. His extensive knowledge in the industry includes project development; evaluation of sustainable approaches; long-term energy, infrastructure and operational planning; development of alternative-financing and ownership solutions; and optimizing and securing grants and other funding sources. Dale has served the community in a variety of industry and community roles. He has served on the board for the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC and currently re-named Building Potential) and currently serves on the Novara Executive Board. Dale is also an Executive Board Member and Board Chair of Greater Spokane Inc (GSI), which serves the greater Spokane region as both the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Agency. He is passionate about educating our youth and has served many years as a Math is Cool coach, school volunteer, member of K-12 PTA leadership, and as a board member for Spokane STEM. Dale earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Idaho and a master’s degree in business from Santa Clara University and Idaho State University. He previously served as adjunct faculty for Eastern Washington University for 6 years, teaching senior level entrepreneurship, healthcare management, and healthcare quality improvement courses.
Director
Johnston Engineering
Andy Johnston is the founder and president of Johnston Engineering, where he has led the firm’s growth into a trusted partner for energy innovation throughout the Northwest. Drawing on decades of experience, he has built a practice known for pragmatic design coupled with physics-based simulation, rigorous technical standards, and a deep commitment to client service. As the leader of Johnston Engineering, Andy oversees company vision, business development, and project delivery, guiding multidisciplinary teams from early concept through build and commissioning. Since founding the company, he has grown the firm by focusing on long‑term relationships with utilities, local & federal public agencies, and private clients, and by mentoring the next generation of engineers and technical staff. His work increasingly centers on projects that modernize critical infrastructure, improve system resilience, and enable the transition to cleaner, more efficient energy systems. Andy holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Gonzaga University and came back to Gonzaga as an instructor of mechanical engineering, a position he joyfully held for 13 years. Besides Novara, he serves in leadership roles for three other boards promoting bioscience in the region, innovation in carbon management, and mechanical engineering education at EWU. Having been born in Spokane, he is deeply invested in the region’s future and sees clean energy as both an economic and environmental imperative for the Inland Northwest. Through his role with Novara, he is committed to creating high‑quality jobs in the clean energy sector, supporting innovative local companies, and ensuring that the benefits of the energy transition are realized in the communities he calls home.