Name: Stephanie Williams
Company Name: Kadlec
Title: Executive Director, Ancillary Services
Years at Company: 7 years

What are three things you use at work every day?
My planner, coffee, and a positive attitude

What was your first job?
I started as a babysitter at age 10 then I moved to working concessions in high school. My first professional job was as a social worker working in mental health. All my jobs have focused on service in one way or another!

Where is your hometown?
Lewiston, Idaho

How do you spend your free time?
With my husband and daughters, although now I only get time with my girls when they are home from college. I also like to cook, run and knit for stress relief!

What are three words that best describe you?
Genuine, hardworking and kind 

What did you want to become as kid?
My Mom tells me when I was little that I wanted to be a truck driver, however I remember wanting to be a lawyer up until I took a psychology class and was hooked! 

Where is your favorite place to travel?
We went as a family to Europe this summer and I’d love to go again. My favorite place was Amsterdam with the Scottish Highlands being a close second. 

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities?
22 years

What is your favorite movie?
The Princess Bride 

How do you define success?
I love to coach my team. I feel the most successful when I have helped someone else succeed, see a new perspective or feel supported to do their best work.

What excites you the most about the direction of the Tri-City Regional Chamber?
I am encouraged by how the chamber has been engaging the whole community to identify an inclusive growth strategy with the intent of meeting the needs of our diverse population as we move into the future.

Name:  Jody O’Connor
Company Name: Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
Title:  PTAC Counselor
Years at Company:  6 Months

What are three things you use at work every day? 
A sense of humor, my cute desk lamp, and hand lotion

What was your first job? 
Gift shop in a hospital

Where is your hometown? 
Beautiful Ashland, Oregon

How do you spend your free time? 
Sitting on the porch at my cabin in Southern Oregon, looking out at the meadow, watching the elk and eagles enjoy their safe space

What are three words that best describe you? 
Honest, approachable, and trustworthy

What did you want to become as kid? 
A pilot

Where is your favorite place to travel? 
I love to visit the ocean beaches – so relaxing!

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities?
12 years

What is your favorite movie? 
Yentl (I’m a huge Barbra Streisand fan)

How do you define success? 
A life lived for others is a life worthwhile – I like to go to sleep at night knowing that I’ve helped someone that day

What excites you the most about the direction of the Tri-City Regional Chamber? 
We have so many wonderful programs and strong collaborative relationships with businesses throughout the community, including myTRI 2030 Initiative – this is very important because working together brings about positive change for all involved.

Name: Paul Carlisle
Company Name: elevate
Years at Company: 15

What are three things you use at work every day?
My heart, my brains, and my hands. Hopefully in that order.

What was your first job?
My official title was “office boy” which essentially meant I gassed up vehicles, fetched lunch, cleaned out storage unite, and other material tasks. 

Where is your hometown?
My grandfather came out of General Rickover’s crew to Richland in the early 1970s and played a strong role in FFTF. I was born at Kadlec and grew up a North Richland kid. I left a few times, briefly, but ended up right back in North Richland where I took the unique opportunity to buy and live in my grandparent’s old home. 

How do you spend your free time?
When I’m not working with business owners on tech or teaching students about entrepreneurship, I enjoy most of what this community offers with my wife and kids: golf, wine, hiking, boating, biking, and even snow skiing. 

What are three words that best describe you?
Curious, deliberate, foolhardy. The stuff of adventures?

What did you want to become as kid?
An architect. I even went to a summer-long program for it as a teenager. While it didn’t pan out, I still feel that itch when I’m helping clients with technology in their facilities. 

Where is your favorite place to travel? 
One thing I like a lot about the Tri-Cities is how quickly I can fall of the end of it. Biking north past PNNL, boating south and onto the Snake, or driving east toward Walla Walla…it doesn’t take long to be alone, under a big sky. Some folks travel a long way for that. I try to travel there as many times a week as I can. 

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities?
It was 2007 when I got intentional about making the Tri-Cities my home. It was 2010 when I got intentional about making the Tri-Cities my community. I’d invite others to stop living and get intentional, it’s worth it. 

What is your favorite movie?
One?!? Pulp Fiction, Boiler Room, Fight Club. Movies where someone strives to succeed in a seemingly complex world just to figure out that the complexity is self-inflicted. Of course, I’d pass on all of those for some uninterrupted time with a Stephen King novel. 

How do you define success?
Taking a leap into the abyss, grabbing hold of something worthwhile, findings its core, exposing its simplicity, aligning talented people, and then stepping back. Done just right, the momentum created by its departure should create a new abyss. Repeat.

What excites you the most about the direction of the Tri-City Regional Chamber?
I’m feeling a huge generational shift of responsibility. I think the chamber is uniquely positioned to help facilitate and moderate this transition, and I’m pleased to see it actively moving into that space. 

Name: Steve Schwan
Company Name: Help-U-Move, Inc

What are three things you use at work every day?
My cell phone (unfortunately), a tape measure, and a coffee machine.

What was your first job?
I was a Tri-City Herald paperboy back in the day.

Where is your hometown?
I grew up in Kennewick.

How do you spend your free time?
Kids' sports and family, hunting and fishing, golf, boating, snow skiing

What are three words that best describe you?
Work ethic, humility, old school 

What did you want to become as kid?
A professional baseball player

Where is your favorite place to travel? 
Anywhere with my family

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities?
On and off for 30+ years

What is your favorite movie?
The Star Wars trilogy 

How do you define success?
To be honest, success is something I rarely think about especially as a small business owner. Every day is a new challenge. I think success is when I don't have to worry about 20 employees!

Name: Liz Renz
Company Name: Tri-City Regional Chamber
Title: Office Manager
Years at Company: 4

What are three things you use at work every day?
Computer, Cell Phone, Sarcasm

What was your first job?
Dairy Queen
 
Where is your hometown?
Klamath Falls, OR

How do you spend your free time?
Cleaning mostly, but when I’m not doing that, I’m spending time with my husband and our five children. 

What are three words that best describe you?
Getting Things Done

What did you want to become as kid?
A little bit taller

Where is your favorite place to travel?
Oregon Coast

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities?
13 years

What is your favorite movie?
Forrest Gump

How do you define success?
​Enjoying what you do each and every day. 

What excites you the most about the direction of the Tri-City Regional Chamber?
MyTri 2030 and the impact on the Tri-Cities community. 

Name: David Tobias
Company Name: Tyson Fresh Meats
Title: HR Manager
Years at Company: 35 years

What are three things you use at work every day?
Phone, computer, ears

What was your first job?
Assistant mechanic at a mechanic shop

Where is your hometown?
Toppenish, Washington

How do you spend your free time?
Sports with my kids, working on cars, hiking

What are three words that best describe you?
Confidant, wise, determined  

What did you want to become as kid?
An attorney

Where is your favorite place to travel?
Mt. Adams 

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities?
35 years

What is your favorite movie?
Stand and Deliver

How do you define success?
Make a difference in others lives

What excites you the most about the direction of the Tri-City Regional Chamber?
​Innovative

Name: Karthik Subramanian
Company Name: Washington River Protection Solutions
Title: Chief Engineering
Years at Company: 5

What are three things you use at work every day?
Listening, patience, and technical skills

What was your first job?
I was in the layaway department at a department store called Roses in Augusta, Georgia, during high school.  Wow, layaway, a term that doesn’t exist in a store that doesn’t exist anymore!  

Where is your hometown?
Grew up all over the country mostly in Georgia and now home is West Richland.

How do you spend your free time?
Playing and coaching sports, volunteering at the Hindu Society of Eastern Washington (HSEW), exploring and hiking

What are three words that best describe you?
Passionate, Enthusiastic, and curious

What did you want to become as kid?
I wanted to be a pediatrician.

Where is your favorite place to travel? 
I love to travel in Europe and South Asia to experience the history of both areas.

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities?
6 Years.  

What is your favorite movie?
The Princess Bride, it has action, adventure, comedy, and romance!

How do you define success?
I believe it’s more important to chase excellence in whatever we do and allow success to be an outcome.  

What excites you the most about the direction of the Tri-City Regional Chamber?
The Tri-Cities has grown tremendously in the short time I’ve been here, and the Tri-City Regional Chamber will be a big part of the further growth through its myTRI 2030 initiative.  

Name: Kailey Phillips
Company Name: Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce
Title: Administrative Coordinator
 
What was your first job?
I was a salesperson at Footlocker. I worked there during high-school and through college. It was a blast!
 
Where is your hometown?
I’m originally from Lincoln, NE (go Huskers!). I moved over here after graduating college and I love the area.
 
What is your favorite movie?
Hands down, it’s Beauty and the Beast - the animated original. As a child I thought I looked like Belle, so she was always my favorite character. I still love the movie to this day.
 
How do you spend your free time?
I love to be around my family and my dogs. Also, I love to watch college football so weekends during the fall are taken up by my Nebraska Huskers! During the spring and summer my fiancé and I love to golf whenever we can. I try to throw camping and kayaking in there, as well, because I live for being in the water. I’m also a leader for a charity organization that hosts different events for local non-profits around the community.  
 
What are three words that best describe you?
Friendly, determined, goofy
 
Where is your favorite place to travel?
I would have to say Disneyland. It’s the most magical place on Earth and I’m a huge fan. I’m a child at heart and it just never gets old to me. Plus, I’m a “dis-nerd” when it comes to Disney movies.
 
What excites you the most about the direction of the Tri-City Regional Chamber?
I’m excited to be a part of the myTRI 2030 regional vision project. I cannot wait to see the collaboration and outcomes of these different ideas and projects to be implemented and executed around the community. 

Name:  Jodi Henderson
Company Name: Benton PUD
Title: Manager of Communications & Government Relations
Years at Company: 9
 
What are three things you use at work every day?
Franklin Planner (I’m a list-maker), cell phone, and a sense of humor.  
 
Where is your hometown?
I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but I consider Mukilteo, Washington, where I grew up, my hometown.
 
How do you spend your free time?
I spend my early mornings, late nights and weekends trying to match the energy level of my almost three-year-old daughter who loves spending time outdoors.
 
What are three words that best describe you?
Driven, humble, and organized
 
What did you want to become as kid?
A history teacher. In fact, that was one of the reasons I chose to go to school at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington.
 
Where is your favorite place to travel? 
My most memorable place to travel was Banff in Alberta, Canada. The Canadian Rockies are a MUST for any bucket list.
 
How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities?
10 years on Halloween – very scary! I can’t believe it has been a decade. It feels like just yesterday that my husband and I made the move from Alexandria, Virginia to Richland, Washington.
 
What is your favorite movie? 
A Few Good Men
 
What motto do you live by? 
If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again!
 
What excites you the most about the work of the Tri-City Regional Chamber? 
myTRI 2030 - I am excited about being an active member of a community, shaping its future.

Name: Dee Gray
Company Name: CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company / JACOBS
Title: Chief of Staff 
Years at Company: 12 
 
What are three things you use at work every day? 
Cell phone, calendar, restraint

What was your first job? 
I interned for the Alaska State Department of Natural Resources during high school, in the Fiscal Department. I landed my first full-time job with Westinghouse, as a clerk to the Senior Labor Counsel.

How do you spend your free time?
I’m a soccer mom so I spend a lot of time travelling and watching games. I also enjoy time at the Lake (Chelan), camping, hiking and hanging with friends.
 
What are three words that best describe you? 
Determined, spirited, friendly
 
What did you want to become as kid? 
I remember wanting to be a truck driver – no kidding.
 
How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities? 
I’ve lived in the Tri-Cities for almost 30 years.
 
Where is your hometown?
I grew up in Gleed, WA (between Yakima and Naches).
 
What is your favorite holiday?  
My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love the festivities, the movies, the spirit of giving that everyone feels.

If you could pick one superpower what would it be? 
If I could choose a superpower, it would be time travel. I’d love to have the perspectives of different centuries.
 
What was the first concert you attended?
Reba McIntire was my first concert – at the fair.
 
Do you live by any piece of advice or motto?  
Start each day new.

What excites you the most about the direction of the Tri-City Regional Chamber? 
I’m passionate about bringing in a strong diversity to the Chamber. I believe different perspectives, ideas and experiences shape who we are in the community. I think myTRI 2030 will help bring in these new perspectives.