Spokane's Westward Expansion

Please join us on Thursday, September 6, 2018 for a panel discussion on the future expansion and development of the West Plains Area. With Amazon in construction this year and anticipated growth in the region, our moderator, Chad Heimbigner, Principal at Coffman Engineers, will ask key leaders in the region:

• What future growth should we anticipate occurring in the West Plains in the next year to 5 years?
• How will the infrastructure, traffic, housing and associated needs be approached to serve those in the West Plains?
• Who will take the lead on hiring consultants and contractors for various growth plans?
• What will the biggest challenges during this growth?
• What are some of the hopes for the West Plains region and how it supports big projects like Amazon and other companies looking to expand here?

Panelists include:

• Kevin Richey, Mayor, City of Airway Heights
• Albert Tripp, City Manager, City of Airway Heights
• Todd Woodard, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs, Spokane Airports
• Mark Allen, PE, Project Engineer, Washington State Dept. of Transportation
• Karl Otterstrom, Director of Planning and Development, Spokane Transit Authority
• Todd Coleman, Executive Director, West Plains Area Public Development Authority

More Information about Our Moderator:

• Chad Heimbigner, Principal, Coffman Engineers – Chad has provided civil engineering consulting for projects nationwide with clients in the public and private sector, including education, government, commercial, healthcare, public welfare, recreation, military, airports, retail, manufacturing, industrial, multi-family and single-family residential, assisted living, tribal, and municipal projects.  Chad has extensive experience with developments throughout the West Plains, including projects for Eastern Washington University, Fairchild Air Force Base, Inland Power & Light, Spokane International Airport, and several other commercial, housing, and manufacturing clients.  Chad is the principal civil engineer for the City of Airway Heights Recreation Complex and Center currently under construction, as well as the Principal-in-Charge and Project Manager of the site development team that provided the site planning and engineering for the new Amazon Fulfillment Center.  When Chad isn’t at work or spending time with his family, he enjoys running and helps operate Camp STIX, a summer camp for kids with type 1 diabetes.

More Information About Our Panelists:

• Kevin Richey, Mayor, City of Airway Heights – Kevin is currently the mayor for the City of Airway Heights. His career started out in the U.S. Air Force. After serving for four years, he and his wife moved to the region in 2000. Kevin has been serving on the Airway Heights City Council since 2008. He worked for the Spokane Transit Authority for two years before beginning his career in law enforcement with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office in 2003. He is currently a Detective in the Major Crimes Domestic Violence Unit. By serving on the city council, Kevin is committed to maintaining public safety, improving infrastructure to support growth, promoting pride in the community and improving the quality of life for its residents. He and his wife have four children, and his oldest son is currently serving in the USMC.
• Albert Tripp, City Manager, City of Airway Heights – Albert is the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer for the City of Airway Heights. He is responsible for each City department, including Public Works, Police, Fire, Courts, Planning, Building, Finance, and Parks and Recreation. He has worked for the city of Airway Heights, a city of 9,085 population, since 2005.  
• Todd Woodard, Director, Marketing/Public Affairs, C.M., FRAeS, Spokane International Airport – Woodard is the Director of Marketing and Public Affairs for Spokane International Airport, Felts Field Airport and the Airport Business Park.   Woodard’s marketing responsibilities include development of passenger and cargo service; writing and implementation of business plans; grant writing for infrastructure enhancements; commercial development of the Board’s properties; providing support for the region’s business organizations, recruitment and tourism efforts; creation and management of Internet homepage and social media; and generating brochures, newsletters and other materials.  His public affairs duties involve acting as airport spokesperson and primary media contact; writing and distribution of news releases; and communications with corporate contacts, elected officials and the public. He is also the author of the Spokane Airports’ Foreign-Trade Zone application and is the principal in-charge of Zone No. 224. Todd is a graduate of Washington State University, a Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He also is an active member in the community, having experience serving on multiple boards as chairs and committee members.
• Mark Allen, PE, Project Engineer, WSDOT – Born and raised in Spokane, Mark graduated from WSU (Go Cougs!) with a degree in Civil Engineering and has worked for WSDOT in Spokane for the last 26 years. In the spring of 1998, he was one of three people selected to start up a new design office called the “North Spokane Corridor Office”, to begin preliminary design work for the North Spokane Corridor project, which is now under construction after it was originally conceived in the 1950’s. Mark currently leads an office of engineers and technicians to deliver design and construction projects for the taxpayers of Washington.
• Karl Otterstrom, Director of Planning and Development, Spokane Transit Authority - Karl  is a native of Spokane, Washington, and earned his Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University in 2002. He later obtained his Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Washington. Karl has worked in the fields of urban, regional and transportation planning for over 15 years. Since 2009, he has held the position of Director of Planning and Development for the Spokane Transit Authority. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Notable accomplishments have included taking on lead roles in planning several King County Metro RapidRide projects, now serving tens of thousands riders daily; leading a planning effort in the wake of the Great Recession to reduce and restructure Spokane Transit bus service, which saved costs while increasing ridership; and leading the planning and development for a ten-year plan to expand and improve transit for the Spokane region. Funding for the plan, known as STA Moving Forward, was approved by voters in November 2016 with service improvements beginning in May 2017. Karl and his team have a central role in further planning, design and implementation of transit improvements over the next ten years.
• Todd Coleman, Executive Director, West Plains Area Public Development Authority -Todd is an economic development professional with a background in Civil Engineering and leading quasi-governmental entities. Todd began his career working for a public utility district in central Washington and continued his career in private engineering consulting in the Portland and Vancouver area. His focus has been in municipal infrastructure planning, design, and construction projects. Todd spent the past 15 years leading capital projects and ultimately became the CEO at the Port of Vancouver. Besides leading multi-million-dollar capital projects, Todd was very involved in lobbying for port funding at both the state and federal level and in the recruitment, expansion and retention of businesses in Clark County. He also served 8 years on the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board representing the Washington State ports. Todd joined the West Plains Airport Area Public Development Authority, a joint partnership between the City of Spokane, Spokane County and the Spokane International Airport in June of 2018. The purpose of the PDA is the prepare 9,251 acres of property, both public and private, with the infrastructure to support business development, to assist new businesses within the PDA with their permitting processes and buy, sell and develop infrastructure and real estate, to create jobs and economic prosperity for the Spokane area.

Thank you to our sponsor, GeoEngineers, Inc.!

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