Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire has selected Wendy Schneider, Eastern Washington University Foundation Relations director, to be a member of the new Spokane County Health Sciences and Services Authority Board.
Schneider was named to the board on Oct. 15, along with Patricia Butterfield, dean and professor at Washington State University's Intercollegiate College of Nursing, and Nancy Isserlis, an attorney at Winston and Cachatt and a member of the Spokane Neighborhood Action Program's board of directors as well as chair of the Spokane City Ethics Committee.
“It is an honor to be a part of this new advisory board,” Schneider said. “Community wellness and economic development are issues I've always been passionate about in my work. I'm very proud of the programs at EWU that contribute so much to these areas.”
EWU Spokane, on the Riverpoint Campus, is home to many health science programs, including dental hygiene, communication disorders, physical therapy and occupational therapy. Eastern is also involved with the new Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program at Riverpoint, a program designed to meet the oral health care needs of rural and underserved areas.
Schneider has been with EWU since 2006, working with other foundations to secure gifts for the university. Prior to coming to Eastern, she owned a consulting group that worked with clients across the U.S. on community development projects that focused on community education and wellness.
The Health Sciences and Services Authority Board was created by the Legislature in 2007, and its intent is to promote economic development in the health sciences field and advance new therapies and procedures to combat disease and promote public health.
Besides the three members selected by Gregoire, Spokane Mayor Mary Verner will also make three appointments, and the Spokane County Commissioners will name an additional three individuals.
“Spokane now has an important tool to strengthen this region's presence in health science research and global health,” Gregoire said. “The work of this board will not only benefit the regional economy, but will ensure Spokane continues to be a major part of our state's leadership in improving health around the globe.”
Gregoire pointed to Spokane's burgeoning health sciences industry as reason for a need for creation of the board, adding that in Spokane alone, there are more than 1,000 health science businesses, including six major hospitals, which provide health care jobs to an estimated 30,000 Washingtonians. The industry accounts for nearly 13 percent of local employment with a total annual payroll of more than $1.2 billion.
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