Chair
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.
Vice Chair
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.
Treasurer
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.
Secretary
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.
Director
Itron
Marina Donovan, Vice President, Global Marketing, ESG and Public Affairs, has more than 25 years of business-to-business marketing and public relations experience serving a variety of industries with expertise in data security and communications networks. For the past 10 years, she has been working in the utility space. She joined Itron as vice president of global marketing & public affairs in January 2018. In 2022, she took ownership of Itron’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy and program. Prior to joining Itron, she was vice president of marketing for Silver Spring Networks. She has also held executive marketing positions at IronKey by Imation, Syniverse, VeriSign and RSA Security. Marina holds a Bachelor of Arts in public relations from San Jose State University.
Director
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 (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.
Counsel, 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.
Our Staff
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Kim joined Novara Energy Alliance in February 2026. She retired in August 2024 to care for family. Most recently she served at Numerica Credit Union where she was Sr. Vice President of Equity & Community Development as well as President of NUSO, a subsidiary of Numerica.
Kim has held leadership roles for some of Spokane’s top energy related companies who are also among its most community involved organizations including Avista, McKinstry, and Itron. Prior to Numerica, she spent 10 years with McKinstry and 15 years with Avista where she was a loaned executive to start up economic development at the City of Spokane under Mayor John Powers and later she spearheaded the development of Spokane’s University District. Kim has a combined 27+ year career in the energy sector with emphasis in demand side management, sales, innovation, community engagement and economic development. She has been a long time leader in the innovation economy in Spokane having worked to support tech growth for decades as well as leading McKinstry’s Innovation Center by facilitating and supporting the growth of many tech organizations.
Kim has served as a tireless supporter of Spokane for over 34 years gaining the reputation as a well-known “connector” and “go to” collaborator. She has played a critical leadership role in several major community and economic development initiatives, including: development of the University District and its foundational 20 Year Strategic Plan; redevelopment of two National Historic Preservation award-winning projects, McKinstry’s SIERR and Avista’s Steam Plant Square; the University District Gateway Bridge; redevelopment of RiverFront Park; development of the Davenport Arts District; co-chairing two Central Valley School District successful bond campaigns; leading the “End the Violence” and the “One Spokane” initiatives; and working on the Northwest Credit Union Association’s DEI Taskforce. As a Governor Inslee appointed trustee she played a pivotal role in the creation of Eastern Washington University’s School of Nursing, promoted EWU becoming the region’s polytechnic university and co-founded an EWU scholarship to support first generation women over the age of 30 in their goals of obtaining a college degree.
Kim has epitomized servant leadership, having served on over 50 boards supporting economic innovation, entrepreneurial development, technology, community service, medicine, academia and the arts.