Board of directors and advisory committee
At Innovia Foundation, our board and advisory committee members lend their extraordinary expertise and talent to help us improve the quality of life throughout the Inland Northwest. These individuals volunteer countless hours to help us fulfill our mission to drive community transformation.
Officers
Shelley L. Bennett
President
Broker/Owner Palouse Commercial Real Estate
Meg Miller
Vice President
Executive Director of Resort Operations Northern Quest Resort and Casino
K. Collins Sprague
Secretary-Treasurer
Director of Government Relations Avista Corp.
Directors
Carla Cicero
President and CEO
Numerica Credit Union
Sandi Bloem
SLB Consulting
Robert A. Blume
Senior Vice President and Managing Director
Washington Trust Bank
Wealth Management & Advisory Services
Robert P. Bishopp
Wealth Management Advisor
Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company LLC
Michael J. Bibin, CPA
President
Bibin & Associates, CPA, P.A
Jennifer West
Public Relations Consultant
Janice H. Baldwin
Wealth Management Advisor,
Senior Vice President – Wealth Management
Merrill Lynch
Carol Wilson
Community Volunteer
Geraldine Lewis
Community Volunteer
Governance/Nominating
The Governance/Nominating Committee, on behalf of the board, supports the long-term effectiveness of the Board and Board operations by recommending best practices in governance to the board to fulfill Innovia Foundation’s mission, vision and the long-term viability of the board. The committee also supports the long-term effectiveness of the board by overseeing a process of nominating well-qualified candidates for board, committee and board officer positions.
Shelly L. Bennett, President
Meg Miller, Vice President
K. Collins Sprague, Secretary-Treasurer
Bob Bishopp, Immediate Past President
Finance
This committee monitors on behalf of the board and oversees, guides and supports the efforts of the CEO and staff by ensuring that Innovia Foundation is in good health. To do this, the committee develops our financial policies and makes sure they are consistent with our mission and vision. The committee is also responsible for reviewing and recommending for approval the annual operating budget, as well as overseeing the review of the audited financial statements and tax return, including the performance of the auditors.
Carla Cicero, Chair
Rob Blume, Vice Chair
Michael J. Bibin
Garry Shea
Eric F. Green
Chandra Schumacher
Jan Tymesen
Andrew M. Brajcich
Robert M. “Bob” Cole, Jr.
Meg Miller
Bob Wrigley
Investment
This committee monitors on behalf of the board and oversees, guides and supports the CEO and staff in ensuring that Innovia Foundation’s investment policies are consistent with the Innovia Foundation’s mission and vision. The committee develops and recommends guidelines for asset allocation, risk tolerance and benchmarks and oversees the administration and performance of all of Innovia Foundation’s assets. In addition, the committee oversees the selection, engagement and/or replacement of qualified external investment consultants, including designated advisors and Donor-Designated Advisors.
Gift Planning
The Gift Planning Committee, along with the board, ensures that Innovia Foundation has the financial resources to carry out its mission and vision.
Sandi Bloem, Chair
Joe Dinnison, Vice Chair
Patricia McRae
K. Duane Brelsford
Jeff Crandall
Candace Godwin
David Green
Scott Jones
Robert A. Larson
Stephanie R. Taylor
Chud E. Wendle
Kevin Parker
Grants
The Grants Committee monitors on behalf of the board and oversees, guides and supports the efforts of the CEO and staff in recommending to the board grant awards that fulfill Innovia’s mission and vision. Grants are the end result of fundraising, investment of funds and community study. Grants that positively impact the community are one of the true measures of achieving community transformation.
Carol Wilson, Chair
Janice Baldwin, Vice Chair
Terri Ashby-Scott
Ben Cabildo
Susan Cerutti-Jensen
Gabriel Cruden
Karl Dye
Keith Kelley
Paul Kimmell
Scott Hutsell
Stephanie Schweitzer
Jennifer West
Betsy Wilkerson
The North Idaho Partnership Council (NIPC) is made up of business and community leaders from the six northernmost counties of North Idaho who support and advance the mission of Innovia Foundation in North Idaho.
North Idaho Partnership Council members represent and serve the following Idaho counties: Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Benewah, Shoshone and Latah. Members act as ambassadors for Innovia Foundation to help determine community needs and advise the foundation regarding grants and charitable gifts that support the North Idaho region. The members include:
Barbara Jackson – Benewah County
Paul Kimmell – Latah County
Geraldine Lewis – Bonner County
Michele Magnuson – Kootenai County
Matt Mire – Bonner County
Helen Muffly – Benewah County
Rhonda Seagraves – Shoshone County
Jennifer Stovern – Shoshone County
Dave Walter – Boundary County
Donna Woolston – Latah County
The Pullman-Palouse Regional Partnership Council (PPRPC), comprised of members from the Palouse area, works in partnership with Innovia to make funding decisions for this grant program. The grants are made possible by funds that have been established by donors in the Palouse region. These funds, known collectively as the Palouse Region/Pullman Community, have a geographic restriction or preference for the benefit of the Palouse region. A number of these funds were originally held by the Pullman Community Foundation. In 1982, the Pullman Community Foundation chose Innovia Foundation to continue its legacy by managing these funds. Several funds have been added since the original group was transferred to Innovia Foundation. If you wish to establish your own fund or contribute to one of the existing funds that benefit the Palouse region, please contact Innovia staff.
Pullman-Palouse Regional Partnership Council
Paul Kimmell
Peady Schwabe
Donna Woolston
Vicki Leeper
Mike Waite
Robin Fahle Ohlgren
Francis Benjamin
The Columbia County Children’s Fund is an area of interest endowed fund at Innovia Foundation. It was established as a permanent legacy in 1984 by family members of Frances Broughton Boyd Milham of Dayton, Wash. The fund supports organizations in Columbia County, Wash., that provide educational enrichment and special needs programs, guidance, counseling and therapy to children and their families, as well as medical and dental services and supplies for disadvantaged children. A committee comprised of individuals representing Columbia County (listed below) recommends grants from this fund.
Columbia County Children’s Fund Advisory Committee
Jennifer Ashlock
Dallas Dickinson
Melissa Jensen
Scholarship committee volunteers are an indispensable part of Innovia Foundation’s scholarship programs. These committed volunteers carefully review applications, taking into consideration a wide variety of criteria that may include financial considerations, academic achievement, courage in overcoming hardship, community service, drive and commitment. Scholarship committee members bring to the selection process the benefits of their life experience, their diverse outlooks and their local knowledge to recommend scholarship awards to the best and brightest young people in our region.
More than 100 volunteers are involved in the scholarship process. Each ensures that scholarships are awarded in a manner that is fair and consistent with the wishes of the scholarship fund donors.