The College of Professional Programs, in collaboration with the EWU Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the Associated Students of Eastern Washington University (ASEWU), is hosting the second Community Engagement Speaker Series event, titled “From Campus to Career: Insights from Top Leaders on Workforce Skills” on Tuesday April 22nd. As the region’s Polytechnic, we are committed to ensuring that our students are prepared for the workforce and that we collaborate with our industry and government partners intentionally. We would like our students and faculty to learn from industry and government leaders as well as from our university leadership about the demands of the workforce and what each of us (higher education, industry, government, non-profits) need to do to ensure that our students are workforce ready.

• Moderator: Paul Read, Publisher, Spokane Journal of Business
• Panelists:
  • Dr. Shari McMahan, President, Eastern Washington University
  • Ezra Eckhardt, CEO, Spokane Teachers Credit Union (STCU)
  • Alex Jackson, CEO, MultiCare Health System
  • John Hohman, City Manager, City of Spokane Valley

Please join us for a networking reception directly following the panel discussion. Refreshments will be provided. Open to students, employers, faculty/staff, and alumni.

Date: Tuesday April 22nd, 2025
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 am panel discussion and audience questions, 11:45 am to 12:30 pm networking reception
Location: Showalter Hall Auditorium (2nd floor) and Rotunda (just outside the auditorium) for the networking reception, on the EWU Cheney campus (see map). 526 5th Street, Cheney, WA 99004.

Register to attend here: https://CPPSpeakerSeries25.eventbrite.com

For any accommodation requests, please contact Maria Szep via email at mariam@ewu.edu by April 15th.

Doors open at 9:30 am. Open to the public. Classes welcome. This is a featured event during EWU’s annual Diversity and Inclusion Week.

About the Guest Speakers:

Dr. Shari McMahan

As president, Shari McMahan, PhD, is the principal administrative officer of Eastern Washington University and has general supervision of all operations and programs of the institution. The president carries out the rules and regulations established by the EWU Board of Trustees and state law. Shari McMahan came to EWU after serving as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, San Bernardino, since 2016, and was the first woman provost in CSUSB’s history. Prior to joining CSUSB, McMahan served as a faculty member and administrator for 16 years at California State University, Fullerton, most recently as deputy provost. In this role, she managed a wide and impressive portfolio, including enrollment services, academic operations and finance, institutional research and analytical studies, research, creative activities and technology transfer, university library, faculty affairs and records, the Faculty Development Center, online education and training, satellite campus operations and initiatives, and the Center for Excellence in Supplemental Instruction.

Ezra Eckhardt

Spokane native Ezra Eckhardt became STCU President and CEO on January 1, 2018. A Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Ezra served six years in the U.S. Army, including supporting operations in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Liberia, and as a Company Commander at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was an invited guest at the U.S. Army War College Commandant’s National Security Program in 2016. Ezra holds an MBA from Gonzaga University, where he has been an adjunct professor at the Jepson School of Business. Following his military service, Ezra held management posts for Honeywell and Microsoft. He was President and Chief Operating Officer of Sterling Bank when it merged with Umpqua Bank, where he became Executive Vice President of Operations. Ezra received the GoWest Credit Union Association’s 2023 Summit Icon award for leadership in the credit union movement and was added to the Credit Union House Hall of Leaders in March 2024. Ezra is Board Chair for the Spokane International Airport. He has two daughters, and his wife is a guidance counselor in Spokane Public Schools.

Alex Jackson

Alex Jackson is senior vice president and chief executive for MultiCare’s Inland Northwest and Central Washington regions. He has oversight of MultiCare Deaconess, Valley, and Yakima Memorial Hospitals in addition to MultiCare Rockwood Clinic, a 300+ provider group in Spokane and Yakima Memorial Physicians, a 210+ provider group in Yakima. Jackson brings more than 25 years of progressive health care leadership experience in a variety of roles and settings including chief operating officer and chief executive in both Portland, OR, and Spokane, WA. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in public health from Indiana University, Bloomington, and holds a Master of Healthcare Administration from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

John Hohman

John Hohman was appointed City Manager in January 2022 after spending five years as Deputy City Manager (appointed in January 2017). Before that appointment, Hohman spent five years as the Director of Community and Economic Development and four years as the Development Services Manager. Hohman joined the City as the Senior Development Engineer in July 2003. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University and is licensed in the states of Washington and California as a Professional Engineer. His prior experience is a mix of both public and private that includes working for Spokane County as a Development Services Engineer, acting as project manager for a Spokane area steel fabricator, and designing, managing and inspecting public works construction projects for over a decade.

Paul Read

Paul Read is publisher of the Journal of Business, a newspaper that serves the greater Spokane-Coeur d’Alene market, and also is Group Publisher of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business and Senior Times newspapers in Tri-Cities, Washington. Paul has been with the Spokane Journal since it was founded in early 1986 and has been involved in the coverage of business news in Spokane for 40 years. He began leading the Tri-Cities publications after a subsidiary of Cowles Company bought them in late 2022. A Spokane native, Paul is a proud graduate of Eastern Washington University. He currently serves on the boards of Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Spokane Public Facilities District (Chair), the Association of Washington Business, and the Spokane-Kootenai Real Estate Research Committee (Past Chair).

EWU Celebrates Future Teachers

Jessica Kong, a Lecturer in Professional Accounting, served as the Honorary Coach for the EWU Men’s Basketball team during their home game vs. UC Davis, Saturday, December 17.  Assistant Coach Mark Darnall writes, “We host an “Honorary Coach” during our home games throughout the season with different faculty and staff across campus. Our “Honorary Coach” program gives select faculty and staff across campus the insight in the life of what our student-athletes go through on a game day!”  Three of Jessica’s ACCT 251 students, Ethan Price, Cedric Coward, and Casey Jones (shown above), suggested she be invited to serve as an Honorary Coach.

As part of her honorary status, Jessica enjoyed a pregame team meal, received a signed basketball, had a picture taken at center court prior to tip-off, and enjoyed special 6th Man Club baseline seating with her family.  Jessica writes, “It was a wonderful experience! I’m proud to be an instructor at EWU!”.

Thank you to the Men’s Basketball Team and EWU Athletics. Go Eags!

Eastern Students Attend and Present at Literacy Conference

Longtime Teacher Continues Legacy of Making a Difference

In conjunction with the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) and the Master of Social Work Student Association (MSWSA), The College of Professional Programs (CPP) is co-sponsoring a Community Engagement Resource Fair and on-site service activity this October and would like to invite all students to stop by and learn more about getting involved in community service projects.

20 partnering community organizations from Cheney and the Greater Spokane Region will have representatives available to talk with students about the services/resource they provide and how they can get involved.  Students can also participate in an on-site service activity and connect with their peers while they volunteer their time! Are you a fully-online student or at a campus outside of Cheney? We will also have an online opportunity to participate. Stay tuned to our social media!

Like raffles? You’re in luck! We will have a raffle passport card available to pick up at the CPP table on your way in to the fair.  Talk with 5 service providers and you’ll receive a star sticker from each representative. Sign up for a service activity or participate in our on-site activity, and you get a BIG star sticker. Drop off your completed raffle passport in our raffle jar at the CPP table, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for one of three prizes!

The 22nd annual E. Clair Daniels Symposium, featuring keynote speaker Bill A. Simer, will be held virtually on November 5, 2020.

EWU College of Business and the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants (WSCPA) are proud to present the 22nd annual E. Clair Daniels Symposium. This year’s keynote speaker Bill A. Simer, ’78 BAB professional accounting, is a partner at Eide Bailly, LLP, one of the top 25 accounting firms in the country. Simer is a past chair of the WSCPA, former member of the Council of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and past board chair for the EWU Foundation. This year’s theme is “The Accounting Profession: Where We’ve Come From, Where We Are Now, Where We’re Going.”

The E. Clair Daniels Symposium is an annual professional development event that brings industry leaders in accounting and finance to share their experience with EWU faculty, staff and students, as well as other local industry professionals. For registration information, contact Arsen Djatej at adjatej@ewu.edu.

The College of Business recently recognized the following faculty members for excellence in teaching and research.

Trustee’s Medal Award

Elizabeth Tipton, PhD, professor of decision sciences (analytics) was honored with the Trustee’s Medal Award for the 2019-2020 academic year. The Trustee’s Medal Award is the university’s highest form of recognition for faculty achievement. The award honors teaching excellence, significant contributions to scholarship and research, and accomplishments in the development of academic programs and curriculums. The award consists of a silver medallion and a $1,500 cash prize from the EWU Foundation.

Nikki Measor, who nominated Tipton for the award, noted that “Students love Beth. She is able to not only inspire curiosity, but also support students so that they can rise to the challenges of that curiosity.” In the nearly 20 years that Tipton has been with Eastern, she has developed countless courses, served on university committees, served as interim associate dean and dean, and contributed to research in her field, while earning the admiration of colleagues and students alike. She was instrumental in developing our Data Analytics Program, and was the primary faculty member involved in the development of the Microsoft partnership. Tipton was recently recognized by her peers within the college when she was selected to receive our College of Business Excellence in Teaching Award. Her department Chair, Duanning Zhou mentioned her dedication to her students, noting that her office is often full of students asking questions or for help. To many of her students, Tipton is “more than a professor, she is a mentor and friend to all.”

College of Business Excellence in Research Award

Duanning Zhou, PhD, professor of Management Information Systems, was awarded the College of Business in Research Award for 2019-2020. This award recognizes faculty for their outstanding intellectual contributions to the College of Business.

Zhou demonstrated his scholarship through the publication of 3 peer-reviewed articles and a book chapter during the past two years. Two of the articles were in top-tier journals in his discipline, a significant accomplishment. Publications include:

Xu, Y., Zhou, D. and Ma, J., (2019) “Scholar-friend recommendations in online academic communities: An approach based on heterogeneous network,” Decision Support Systems, Vol. 119, pp. 1-13.

Xu, Y., Yin, D., and Zhou, D., (2019) “Investigating users’ tagging in online academic communities based on growth model differences between active and inactive users”, Information Systems Frontiers, Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 761-772,

Kenyon, G., Goldsmith, M., Neoreuther, B. and Zhou, D., (2018) “Improving the return on investment in ports: Opportunities in Data Management”, Maritime Economics & Logistics, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 514-530.

Zhou, D., Djatej, A., Sarikas, R., Senteney, D., “Frameworks and Guidelines tin industry Web Portal Business”, Integration in the Global World, Idea Group, 2019, pp. 407-421.

Master of Business Administration Honors

Tanner Cunningham, ’20 MBA, ’19 BAB Eastern Washington University

While at EWU, Cunningham competed in multiple pitch competitions and business development programs. His team was selected as the most promising business idea in the EWU Technology Commercialization Academy (TCA), earning the opportunity to compete in the CEO Global Pitch Competition in Tampa, Florida, where Cunningham pitched on behalf of the team. He also completed the WSU I-Corps development program and was accepted into the TCU Values and Ventures Competition. Most recently, he competed in the Eagle’s $40,000 StartUp Contest, progressing to the final round where his team was selected as the Best Technology Commercialization of 2020. Cunningham hopes to continue his success and launch his startup business in the near future.

Tamitha Shockley French, ’20 MBA, ’03 BS Eastern Washington University

Shockley is excited and honored to earn her MBA from Eastern Washington University, making her a true “double Eagle”! She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communications & Public Relations from Eastern in 2003 and currently works for the university full-time as the Director of Donor Communications & Stewardship for the EWU Foundation. Shockley has worked in public relations, communications and fundraising for more than fifteen years and is accredited in public relations through the Public Relations Society of America. She chose the Eastern MBA program to enhance her understanding of business finance and accounting, building on the strong foundation of her undergraduate degree, to continue serving the community.

Lauren Hoell, ’20 MBA, ’12 BA Gonzaga University

Hoell was born and raised in Spokane, WA. She attended Gonzaga Preparatory School, class of 2007. After Gonzaga Prep, she attended Eastern for a year and then graduated from Gonzaga University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. After a short hiatus, Hoell decided to continue her passion for school and learning by attending the Masters of Business Administration program. She is extremely proud to have completed her degree while continuing her career full time. “This has been a dream of mine”.

Mason Peatling, ’20 MBA, ’19 BAB Eastern Washington University

Peatling and his wife Laura traveled from Melbourne, Australia four years ago with big plans. Four years later, it has all come to fruition. As a member of the EWU Men’s Basketball Team, the Senior Captain led the team to their first outright Big Sky Championship since 2004. Peatling was also honored as the conference MVP by the league’s 11 coaches. However, his most prized accolade is being selected as a 1st Team Academic All-American, a representation of all the hard work he has done in the classroom. Peatling wishes to thank all his professors in the MBA program who were so accommodating throughout a very busy year.

Roman Tverdokhlebenko, ’20 MBA, ’08 BAB Eastern Washington University

Tverdokhlebenko was born and raised in Ukraine. His family immigrated to United States in 2003. Tverdokhlebenko earned a direct transfer degree from Big Bend Community College in 2006 and his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Eastern in 2008. While still in school, he was employed as an intern in the quality assurance department of a food processing plant. He has held a variety of managerial positions in multiple companies. After losing his job due to economic circumstances, Tverdokhlebenko decided to return to school to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration. He is interested in becoming a community college or university instructor in the future.

Master of Professional Accounting Honors

Jessica Hengy, ‘20 MPAcc, ’19 BAB Eastern Washington University

Hengy is originally from Spokane and has many friends and family in the area. She is grateful that the MPAcc program helps students prepare for the CPA exam, for which she is currently studying and hopes to finish this fall. Hengy plans to work in public accounting as an auditor – with a focus on the not-for-profit and development industries. Her favorite part of the MPAcc program was the opportunity to network with professors and other students. She believes getting to hear a variety of perspectives from people who have experience in accounting is important to professional development.

Beth Rheinschmidt, ’20 MPAcc, ’18 BAB Eastern Washington University

After earning an Associate of Arts from Spokane Community College, Rheinschmidt transferred to Eastern in the fall of 2015 to pursue her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Professional Accounting. As a non-traditional student, she was working full-time while attending night classes. It took a significant amount of focus and determination to earn not only her bachelor’s degree but also her Master of Professional Accounting. Rheinschmidt is proud of her accomplishments and wishes to thank her family, friends, classmates, and faculty for supporting her through this journey.

Cherienne Ruby-Rhyne, ’20 MPAcc, ’98 BAB Eastern Washington University

Ruby-Rhyne is a native of Boise, ID who began her college journey nearly 25 years ago as an undergraduate student at Eastern Washington University. In 1998, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a focus in accounting. Ruby-Rhyne began working in public accounting in the Seattle area acquiring knowledge of the various aspects of accounting. Subsequently, she transitioned into private industry in Spokane, Washington. Most recently, she returned to Eastern to pursue a Master of Professional Accounting degree. She is graduating with honors in Spring 2020 and wishes to continue her career as an accounting professional with a local construction and development company where she is currently employed.

Not pictured:

• Mariya Brodigan, ’20 MPAcc, MA, BA Dnipropetrovsk State Agrarian and Economic University
• Amy Costilla, ’20 MPAcc, ’16 BAB Eastern Washington University

Frances B. Huston Medallion Awards

Madison Doepker, ’20 BAB Eastern Washington University

Doepker is graduating this spring with a major in professional accounting. The Walla Walla native is a Captain on the EWU women’s track and field team who earned Big Sky All-Academic honors all four year, one of only three EWU student athletes to do so. She was also named the 2019 Big Sky Champion for Javelin. Doepker actively gives back to her community by volunteering her time and expertise. This winter, she volunteered many hours serving as an auditor in the Spokane County Superior Court Guardianship Monitoring Program, a program designed to improve the Superior Court’s ability to monitor guardians’ handling of the ongoing care and financial affairs of Spokane County’s incapacitated citizens under court-supervised guardianships. After graduation, Doepker plans to pursue her CPA while continuing to work in public accounting in Spokane.

Quinn Paterson, ’20 BAB Eastern Washington University

Paterson is graduating this spring with double-majors in management information systems and business analytics. Paterson has worked at the EWU PLUS desk as a facilitator and tutor and he earned Level 2 certification from the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) last winter. He participated, through a class project, in a service-learning opportunity with the city of Spokane, analyzing data counting the local homeless population. Paterson also serves in an executive board position for the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi as the Master of Rituals. Paterson credits his father for inspiring his servant-leader values. Growing up, Paterson spent many hours volunteering at his hometown’s arboretum alongside his dad, who served as president of the arboretum foundation in his hometown of Maple Valley, Washington. After graduation, Paterson plans to pursue a career in data analytics in the technology industry.

The College of Business recently announced student honors and awards for the 2019-2020 academic year. Learn more about some of our outstanding awards
recipients.

Master of Business Administration Honors

Tanner Cunningham, ’20 MBA, ’19 BAB Eastern Washington University

While at EWU, Cunningham competed in multiple pitch competitions and business development programs. His team was selected as the most promising business idea in the EWU Technology Commercialization Academy (TCA), earning the opportunity to compete in the CEO Global Pitch Competition in Tampa, Florida, where Cunningham pitched on behalf of the team. He also completed the WSU I-Corps development program and was accepted into the TCU Values and Ventures Competition. Most recently, he competed in the Eagle’s $40,000 StartUp Contest, progressing to the final round where his team was selected as the Best Technology Commercialization of 2020. Cunningham hopes to continue his success and launch his startup business in the near future.

Tamitha Shockley French, ’20 MBA, ’03 BS Eastern Washington University

Shockley is excited and honored to earn her MBA from Eastern Washington University, making her a true “double Eagle”! She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communications & Public Relations from Eastern in 2003 and currently works for the university full-time as the Director of Donor Communications & Stewardship for the EWU Foundation. Shockley has worked in public relations, communications and fundraising for more than fifteen years and is accredited in public relations through the Public Relations Society of America. She chose the Eastern MBA program to enhance her understanding of business finance and accounting, building on the strong foundation of her undergraduate degree, to continue serving the community.

Lauren Hoell, ’20 MBA, ’12 BA Gonzaga University

Hoell was born and raised in Spokane, WA. She attended Gonzaga Preparatory School, class of 2007. After Gonzaga Prep, she attended Eastern for a year and then graduated from Gonzaga University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. After a short hiatus, Hoell decided to continue her passion for school and learning by attending the Masters of Business Administration program. She is extremely proud to have completed her degree while continuing her career full time. “This has been a dream of mine”.

Mason Peatling, ’20 MBA, ’19 BAB Eastern Washington University

Peatling and his wife Laura traveled from Melbourne, Australia four years ago with big plans. Four years later, it has all come to fruition. As a member of the EWU Men’s Basketball Team, the Senior Captain led the team to their first outright Big Sky Championship since 2004. Peatling was also honored as the conference MVP by the league’s 11 coaches. However, his most prized accolade is being selected as a 1st Team Academic All-American, a representation of all the hard work he has done in the classroom. Peatling wishes to thank all his professors in the MBA program who were so accommodating throughout a very busy year.

Roman Tverdokhlebenko, ’20 MBA, ’08 BAB Eastern Washington University

Tverdokhlebenko was born and raised in Ukraine. His family immigrated to United States in 2003. Tverdokhlebenko earned a direct transfer degree from Big Bend Community College in 2006 and his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Eastern in 2008. While still in school, he was employed as an intern in the quality assurance department of a food processing plant. He has held a variety of managerial positions in multiple companies. After losing his job due to economic circumstances, Tverdokhlebenko decided to return to school to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration. He is interested in becoming a community college or university instructor in the future.

Master of Professional Accounting Honors

Jessica Hengy, ‘20 MPAcc, ’19 BAB Eastern Washington University

Hengy is originally from Spokane and has many friends and family in the area. She is grateful that the MPAcc program helps students prepare for the CPA exam, for which she is currently studying and hopes to finish this fall. Hengy plans to work in public accounting as an auditor – with a focus on the not-for-profit and development industries. Her favorite part of the MPAcc program was the opportunity to network with professors and other students. She believes getting to hear a variety of perspectives from people who have experience in accounting is important to professional development.

Beth Rheinschmidt, ’20 MPAcc, ’18 BAB Eastern Washington University

After earning an Associate of Arts from Spokane Community College, Rheinschmidt transferred to Eastern in the fall of 2015 to pursue her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Professional Accounting. As a non-traditional student, she was working full-time while attending night classes. It took a significant amount of focus and determination to earn not only her bachelor’s degree but also her Master of Professional Accounting. Rheinschmidt is proud of her accomplishments and wishes to thank her family, friends, classmates, and faculty for supporting her through this journey.

Cherienne Ruby-Rhyne, ’20 MPAcc, ’98 BAB Eastern Washington University

Ruby-Rhyne is a native of Boise, ID who began her college journey nearly 25 years ago as an undergraduate student at Eastern Washington University. In 1998, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a focus in accounting. Ruby-Rhyne began working in public accounting in the Seattle area acquiring knowledge of the various aspects of accounting. Subsequently, she transitioned into private industry in Spokane, Washington. Most recently, she returned to Eastern to pursue a Master of Professional Accounting degree. She is graduating with honors in Spring 2020 and wishes to continue her career as an accounting professional with a local construction and development company where she is currently employed.

Not pictured:

• Mariya Brodigan, ’20 MPAcc, MA, BA Dnipropetrovsk State Agrarian and Economic University
• Amy Costilla, ’20 MPAcc, ’16 BAB Eastern Washington University

Frances B. Huston Medallion Awards

Madison Doepker, ’20 BAB Eastern Washington University

Doepker is graduating this spring with a major in professional accounting. The Walla Walla native is a Captain on the EWU women’s track and field team who earned Big Sky All-Academic honors all four year, one of only three EWU student athletes to do so. She was also named the 2019 Big Sky Champion for Javelin. Doepker actively gives back to her community by volunteering her time and expertise. This winter, she volunteered many hours serving as an auditor in the Spokane County Superior Court Guardianship Monitoring Program, a program designed to improve the Superior Court’s ability to monitor guardians’ handling of the ongoing care and financial affairs of Spokane County’s incapacitated citizens under court-supervised guardianships. After graduation, Doepker plans to pursue her CPA while continuing to work in public accounting in Spokane.

Quinn Paterson, ’20 BAB Eastern Washington University

Paterson is graduating this spring with double-majors in management information systems and business analytics. Paterson has worked at the EWU PLUS desk as a facilitator and tutor and he earned Level 2 certification from the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) last winter. He participated, through a class project, in a service-learning opportunity with the city of Spokane, analyzing data counting the local homeless population. Paterson also serves in an executive board position for the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi as the Master of Rituals. Paterson credits his father for inspiring his servant-leader values. Growing up, Paterson spent many hours volunteering at his hometown’s arboretum alongside his dad, who served as president of the arboretum foundation in his hometown of Maple Valley, Washington. After graduation, Paterson plans to pursue a career in data analytics in the technology industry.