Board of Directors
Andrew Flabetich
Andrew Flabetich is a Commercial Insurance Agent HUB International in Pullman. Andrew (WSU ’12), his wife Allison (WSU ’13) have called Pullman home since they arrived on the WSU campus as freshman in 2008. Originally from Vancouver and Walla Walla, Andrew and Allison love the small-town lifestyle in Pullman with the social and cultural relevance that the university brings. They’re also excited for their daughter to grow up in a great education system, and where WSU is right across town. They love the Cougs, their church, traveling, spending time with family, working on their house, and meeting new friends. You can find Andrew at every Cougar football home game, and Allison at the warm ones. Andrew is active in his church and currently services on the board at Palouse Care Net.
Bob Maxwell
Bob Maxwell is the superintendent of the Pullman School District and has participated in a number of chamber events since moving to Pullman in 2014. He is a current member of Kiwanis, participates on various committees and enjoys volunteering in the community. In his spare time, Bob can be found fishing, hunting, hiking or rock hounding. Bob and his wife, Adrienne, love Pullman and the array of outdoor activities, arts, entertainment, and athletic events. Bob and Adrienne; have two girls Madeline and Kate attending Pullman High School and Lincoln Middle School. Being a member of the Chamber and the Chamber Board is an opportunity to help enhance the community. Membership in the chamber and on the Board is a way to give back to the community for its generous support, great work and commitment to our schools.
Doug Cox
Doug Cox is a past president of the board and graduated from WSU with a degree in Ag Business (’93) after growing up on a farm in Hay, WA. Doug is employed as a Vice President & Commercial Lender at Columbia Bank and has provided lending services in Pullman over the past 18 years. Pullman activities include Palouse Discovery Science Center, Pullman Civil Service Commission and the Pullman Chamber Board Member. His hobbies include hunting, scuba, snow & water skiing. Doug has two kids, Hunter (18) and Reagan (15) attending WSU and PHS.
Francis Benjamin
Francis came to this region to attend college, met his wife Heidi, and never left. Pullman provides great work opportunities, has a wonderful climate, and is the perfect place to raise a family. He works at Washington State University ‘06 & ’14 designing psychological research experiments, providing technology solutions, and teaching Real Estate. He owns FAB Consulting, a technology-solutions consulting company. Francis served on Pullman’s City Council 2003-2015 and is former president of the Association of Washington Cities. He co-leads the 5-day Be the Entrepreneur Bootcamp. He is active on the chamber’s lentil festival and government affairs & economic development committees and in the community: Kiwanis, Boy Scouts, Pullman Community Council on Aging, Palouse Knowledge Corridor, and Pullman 2040.
Glenn Johnson
Former Chamber President Glenn Johnson is in his fourth term as Mayor of Pullman and chair of the Pullman Moscow Regional Airport. He continues as the “Voice of the Cougs” at Washington State University for football and men’s basketball games, now in his 38th year. In January 2016 Glenn was named Honorary Alumnus of Washington State University, the highest honor a non-graduate of WSU can achieve. Glenn serves on the Board of Directors of the Chamber and is an active volunteer with a number of Chamber committees: Fourth of July (chair); Artesians; Government Affairs; and volunteers with Lentil Festival and Cabaret. Several years ago, he received the first ever Continuous Service Award from the Chamber. He also volunteers as the Public Information Officer for the Pullman Fire Department and helps with Whitman County during emergencies. He is on the board of directors of United Way, the Community Action Center, the Palouse Free Clinic, the Washington State Association of Broadcasters, and Municipal Research and Service Center based in Seattle. He is a trustee and chair of the Employee Benefit Trust that insures city workers in about 245 cities in the state and was appointed by the Washington Secretary of Transportation to serve on the Transportation Improvement Board. He is the former president of the Association of Washington Cities, the association that represents all 281 cities in the state. He is professor emeritus in the Murrow College at WSU.
Jill Bielenberg
Jill Bielenberg is a lifelong native of the Palouse with family roots in Genesee, Idaho. She has always had a bi-lateral focus on professional education and high-volume restaurants. After living in the Seattle area, she returned to the Palouse and assumed the role of the general manager of the famed Breakfast Club in Moscow while obtaining multiple degrees in various fields of education from the University of Idaho. While pursuing her career in Early Childhood Development/Special Education, she also held a role on state/national boards and committees for public policy and curriculum development for early childhood and special education initiatives. Most recently she was the president for Idaho’s Association for the Education of Young Children Board of Directors. In 2012 Jill took on the position of the general manager for Birch & Barley. She has taken great pride in being part of the Pullman community and feels honored to be working amongst such inspiring business men and women. Jill looks forward to continuing her efforts to give back and increase our goal of making Pullman a better place to live, work, and do business as a member of the Pullman Chamber Board of Directors Vice President (and as the current Legendary Lentil Festival Cook-off Coordinator!).
Joe Kurle
Joe Kurle is a senior at Washington State University and the current Director of Community Affairs for ASWSU. He will graduate in May of 2018 with a BA in Strategic Communication and a minor in Business Administration. In addition to representing ASWSU in the Pullman community, he also serves as the WSU Interfraternity Council Director of Policy and Procedure and is a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity on campus. Joe is a Pullman native and is incredibly grateful for the family and community that raised him. His goal is to use his experience and knowledge of the city of Pullman to connect WSU students with the resources, businesses and opportunities that he grew up with.
JoReen Brinkman
JoReen currently lives in Pullman with her husband Cameron Brinkman, and their two children. She graduated from Lewiston High School with honors in 1994. She went on to attend Idaho State University and later transferred to the University of Idaho, graduating with a B.S. in Mass Communication and a minor in Art. From 1999-2006 JoReen owned and operated Lasting Impressions Photography in Moscow. In 2005, she and her husband Cam bought Subway restaurants in Pullman and in Colfax. They have since added locations at the WSU Compton Union Building and in Walmart which also houses Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Perfect. JoReen was the bookkeeper and office manager for all of these businesses, until she accepted a position with the WSU Foundation in January of 2017. Other involvements include: United Way Executive Board Secretary, 2011-2017; YMCA of the Palouse Board of Trustees, 2013-2017; Pullman Chamber of Commerce Cabaret Committee, 2005-2016; YMCA Annual Fundraising event, 2013-2016; and Association of Washington Business Board Member, 2015-2016.
Marty Northcroft
Marty Northcroft is the Assistant Athletic Director of Marketing at Washington State University. A graduate of WSU class of 1996, Marty is no stranger to Pullman. He returned to Pullman in August of 2012 after spending five years at the University of Virginia and one year at the University of Oklahoma. Prior to his previous positions he worked for the Seattle Mariners as the Marketing Manager from 2000 until 2004 and was also the Assistant Director of Marketing at WSU from 2004 to 2006. Marty and his wife TyAnne have two sons, Caleb (11) and Brayden (7), and a daughter Maya (3).
Megan Guido
Megan Guido is the Chief Marketing & Community Relations Officer at Pullman Regional Hospital. She received her Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Idaho and her Master’s in Public Administration from Seattle University. Her experience includes more than 20 years in leadership positions in healthcare and at non-profits in marketing, fundraising and community engagement. She currently oversees community relations, marketing, digital and social media at Pullman Regional Hospital, a 5 Star, Women’s Choice®, critical access hospital, located in eastern Washington. In addition, she is a licensed trainer for Color Code® (personality and communications style assessment) and is a certified executive and leadership coach.
Pat Wright
Former president Pat Wright is another long-term member of the Board of Directors. Since her retirement as general manager of The Bookie, Pat has remained active in the Pullman community. She enjoys working part-time at Neill’s Flowers and Gifts and on the Pullman City Council. In addition to being a Chamber of Commerce Board Member, Pat is Past President and Membership Chair of Pullman Regional Hospital Auxiliary and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Pullman Education Foundation. Pat has lived in Pullman since 1975. She is originally from New York, and moved to California before residing in Pullman.
PJ Sanchez
PJ Sanchez is a Washington State University graduate and the Branch Manager at Washington Trust Bank in Pullman. He has worked at Washington Trust Bank since it opened its doors in Pullman and has been the Branch Manager since May of 2014. Since moving to the Palouse in the fall of 2009, PJ has enjoyed volunteering and being involved in the Pullman Community. PJ is involved in several civic groups including the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, Kiwanis Club, and Lions Club. PJ lives in Pullman with his wife, Kelli Kamimura, who is the Head Women’s Golf Coach at WSU, and their dog, Gus. In his spare time, PJ enjoys golfing, traveling and attending all Cougar sporting events.
Robert Rembert
Robert Rembert is a past President of the Board of Directors, as well as a civil litigation attorney and shareholder at Irwin, Myklebust, Savage & Brown, P.S., Pullman’s full-service community law firm. He attended Western Washington University where he obtained his undergraduate degree and met his wife, Jeannine. Rob attended Seattle University School of Law and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1996. He is a member of both the Washington and Idaho Bar Associations, has served as President of the Whitman County Bar Association and chairs the Lewis & Clark State College Legal Support Programs Advisory Committee. Active in the Pullman community, Rob has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Pullman Education Foundation, a Commissioner on the Whitman County Elected Officials Salary Commission and was a Trustee for Neill Public Library for over ten years. Rob, Jeannine and their three children enjoy making Pullman their home.
Stacy Pearson
Stacy Pearson is the Vice President for Finance and Administration at Washington State University since early 2017. She provides leadership and oversight of the University’s financial, facilities, multi campus planning and administrative operations and serves as the executive sponsor of the Modernization Initiative to lead the implementation of a cloud based financial and human resources system and oversee the change management process. Prior to coming to WSU, Pearson served as Boise State University’s vice president for finance and administration for 12 years. Stacy also serves on the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation Board, the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport and is involved in the Town Gown Collaborative and the Pullman 2040 initiative as a representative of WSU. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Idaho and master of Public Administration degree from Boise State University and is a licensed certified public accountant in the state of Washington. Stacy was named the 2013 Idaho Woman of the Year by the Idaho Business Review.
Stephanie Schweitzer
Stephanie Schweitzer graduated from Washington State University in 2000 with a degree in economics. She joined Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in 2001, and since then has worked in communications, government affairs, employee development and business research roles. Today, she leads SEL’s Marketing and Communications team. Stephanie serves on the boards of the Association of Washington Business, Washington Business Week, and the Pullman Chamber of Commerce as well as SEL’s corporate board of directors, and participates in the Inland Northwest Community Foundation’s grants committee.
Susan Weed
Former Chamber President Susan Weed (1996-97) is co-owner and Office Manager for Pullman radio stations NewsTalk 1150 KQQQ-AM and 104.7 FM – KQQQ, Newcountry 104.3-KHTR, and Hits 100.5-KQZB. She is a long-term member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, serves as a member of the Pullman School District Board of Directors, as well as on the Pullman Civil Service Commission. Born and raised in Seattle, Susan and her husband Bill have owned and operated Pullman’s radio stations since 1974. Susan says that Pullman has been a wonderful place to raise their 3 kids, and she loves going to businesses where she knows and can trust the person behind the counter. She believes that if you care deeply about something, like she does about our community, then it is important be get involved. Being a Board member gives Susan the satisfaction of knowing that she is helping to make Pullman a better place to live, work and do business!
Theresa Myers
Former president Theresa Myers is the co-owner of Myers Auto Rebuild and Towing. She is from Kent, and has lived in Pullman for 34 years. Theresa loves the small-town lifestyle in Pullman, and she adds that it is a great place to raise kids, due to the great schools. There is a variety of cultural and sporting events in the region, and she enjoys being so close to outdoor recreation opportunities and likes to watch the seasons change. As a member of the Board of Directors, she finds it meaningful to help build a vital economic base for the citizens of Pullman, and to promote Pullman and the region as a great place to live and do business. Theresa says that it is important to educate people that Pullman has many great businesses and that they don’t need to go out of town to find what they need, as it is offered right here in town.
Tom Handy
Tom Handy is a three-time former President of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is the owner of Paradise Creek Brewery and Landmark Property Development. Born in rural Wisconsin, Tom has lived in Pullman since 1984. He appreciates the small-town atmosphere with the mix of big city influences that Pullman offers. Tom says that Pullman is not just a great place to raise and educate children; it is also a friendly business community that has a can-do forward-thinking city administration. He has been engaged with the chamber and on the board since 2003. The chamber gives him an opportunity to be active in an organization that truly makes a positive impact on the prosperity of Pullman and the surrounding area.
Tony Poston
Tony Poston is the current President of the Board of Directors as well as the owner of College Hill Custom Threads, a custom apparel design company. Originally from Sandpoint, Idaho, Tony graduated from Washington State University in 2007 after earning a degree in Political Science/Pre-Law. During his time as an undergrad, Tony was active in ASWSU, The Inter-Fraternity Council and The Student Entertainment Board and fell in love with WSU and the City of Pullman and hoped to return in the future. The opportunity finally presented itself in 2011, when he and two others founded College Hill Custom Threads near campus. Tony believes that the Chamber of Commerce can help show that Pullman is not only a great college town but the perfect place to raise a family and start a business. By helping coordinate fun and exciting events he wants to help bridge the gap between local businesses and WSU students, showing that both can work together to benefit from each other.