Karen Byrd, President

Term ends: December 31, 2013
Karen Byrd was born and raised in Spokane, attended Marycliff High School, Santa Clara University, The Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education (ICNE), receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Eastern Washington University.

She has worked and lived the Mission as an RN at Providence Holy Family Hospital for 24 years, has been a member of the Logan Neighborhood Organization for 9 years, was Logan Chair for 5 years, and recently was invited to join the Board at Gonzaga Preparatory High School.

Karen applied for a Plan Commission position because of her interest in quality of life for her family, neighbors, and future generations along with a passion for her neighborhood and City. She was appointed in the fall of 2001.

Karen finds the work of the Plan Commission to be very rewarding, challenging, and crucial to ensuring that the Comprehensive Plan, developed by the citizens, is supported and implemented.

Karen has been married to Doug for 23 years and they have 2 children, one dog, and many awesome neighbors, friends and family. They can’t imagine living anywhere else

Bob Mansfield, Vice-President

Term ends: December 31, 2015
Bob Mansfield has lived in Spokane since 1971. His wife, Sandy, and two of his three children live in Spokane. He joined the Plan Commission to help move forward the collaborative vision of Spokane's citizens and contribute to the healthy, stimulating, energizing lifestyle that makes Spokane one of the most sought-after places to live and raise a family.

He has over 36 years experience in a wide range of electrical system design, construction, budgeting, and operating fields providing management, analysis, technical support, city-county emergency planning and response, public involvement and risk communication. Bob organized and represented 19 competing Spokane area electric, natural gas, and telecommunication utilities on the Spokane County Growth Management Planning Policies Steering Committee. He facilitated five city-wide public meetings and guided citizens in the ranking of over 59 submitted districting plans for City of Spokane’s Districting Committee.

He has worked extensively with City/County Emergency Planning and Response through and following Spokane’s Ice Storm in 1996. Bob participated with community emergency planning officials in Incident Command System (ICS) training and FEMA’s Integrated Emergency Management Course at Mt. Weather, Virginia and in Emmetsburg, Maryland. He also participated in the development of the Spokane City/County Emergency Management Plan. Bob is a graduate of the Citizen's Police Academy.

Bob has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Washington State University and graduate level studies in Washington State University Off-Campus Master’s Program and at the University of Idaho. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Washington and has completed the Planning Association of Washington's Short Course on Local Planning.

Kerry Brooks

Term ends: December 31, 2013
I sought to serve on the Plan Commission because I would like to contribute my knowledge and skills to helping Spokane support, implement and improve the Comprehensive Plan. I am ultimately interested in helping achieve access and opportunity for all our citizens in the context of social and environmental sustainability and I believe that the plan (and planning) is one of the community’s best means to accomplish this.

Currently Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, WSU, based in Spokane at the Interdisciplinary Design Institute. I am also adjunct professor in EWU’s City and Regional Planning program. My related service activities include: Board Member of Inland NW Trails Coalition, Past Chair and Chair-elect of the Washington Geographic Information Council, and Co-Manager of the Southgate Neighborhood Council Neighborhood Planning Stakeholders and Member of the Southgate Neighborhood Council Land Use committee. I also served on the SRTC Regional Pedestrian Plan Committee, and was chair of the Smart Routes technical advisory committee. I also served on the initial Spokane University district planning team and before that on the Spokane Gorge Conceptual Master Plan team. I have served on quite a few other similar organizations over the last 20 – 30 years, including as a Planning Commissioner (in South Carolina).

Education: PhD. Urban Design and Planning, University Washington, Specializing in Land Use and Geographic Information Systems/Remote Sensing, 1991. Master of Urban Planning, University of Washington, 1983. Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, Fairhaven College, Western Washington University, 1972.

Rod Butler

Term ends: December 31, 2013
Rod Butler is originally from Lewiston, Idaho and is a graduate of the University of Idaho. He has been a resident of Spokane since 1981 after working as an architect for several years in the Seattle area. He is currently President of Zeck Butler Architects, P.S. a planning and architecture firm which has designed a broad variety of projects throughout Spokane and the Northwest including commercial, municipal and military projects as well as extensive experience in affordable multi-family housing.

Rod has been active in the promotion of sustainable architecture as a LEEDTM Accredited Professional, a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor and a Board Member of the Cascadia Green Building Council and the local REBAR Council, and a member of State of Washington committees to establish sustainable standards for housing design.

Rod served on the City of Spokane Design Review Board as Chair before being appointed to the Plan Commission and has previously served on the Boards of the Spokane Housing Authority, Spokane Habitat for Humanity and the Spokane Regional Plan Center.

Rod has dealt with many planning issues on behalf of his clients and strives to be of service to the City of Spokane on the Plan Commission by relaying his practical viewpoints on planning issues to improve processes and policies for Spokane.

Dennis Dellwo

Term ends: December 31, 2011
Dennis Dellwo is a graduate of Arizona State University Law School receiving his law degree in 1971. Subsequent to his admission to the Washington State Bar, Dennis has practiced for almost 40 years. During that time he has worked for two years on the Colville Confederated Tribes offices as a public defender and legal aid attorney. Dennis has also practiced as a partner in Winston Cashatt law firm here in Spokane. Dennis served as the Third District State Representative in Olympia for 14 years. Later he was appointed to and served on the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings board for 12 years. Dennis has also taught Federal Indian Law at Gonzaga School of Law and State and Local Government at Gonzaga University.

Dennis is married to Lynnette Vehrs a nurse instructor with WSU and has 3 daughters from a previous marriage and three step daughters.

Mike Ekins

Term ends: December 31, 2013
As a lifelong resident of the Spokane area Mike has witnessed the community’s responses to achieving visions for the community including Expo 74, Momentum, Spokane Horizons and the expanding University District. He was appointed to the Plan Commission in 2005 and has served as its president for the past four years. As a member of the Plan Commission, Mike appreciates the opportunity to participate in achieving the City’s growth and quality of life vision as outlined in the City’s Comprehensive Plan.

His professional experience includes a prior 28 year banking career and currently 12 years as a self employed mortgage broker for commercial real estate projects. Mike’s experience provided opportunities to work with Spokane area citizens, businesses and development communities. He has served on a number of non profit boards and commissions including the City of Liberty Lake Plan Commission, Museum of Arts & Culture, Lutheran Community Services NW, and he is currently on the Eastern Washington University Foundation board. Mike’s education includes graduate of Lewis & Clark H. S., B of S degree in Economics from Eastern Washington University, Pacific Coast Banking School honors graduate, and Leadership Spokane.

Mike and his wife Gayle, an instructor at SCC, have two children and three grandchildren. They enjoy travelling, spending time with family, the challenges of golf, Spokane Indians baseball, and the views of Spokane from their deck.

Asher Ernst

Term ends: December 31, 2015
Asher has been a resident of Spokane (West Hills Neighborhood) since 2003, but has always considered Spokane to be his home city as he grew up in Newport and Chewelah. Asher studied Comparative Religion at the University of Washington and has a Master's of Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Washington University. He is married to his wife, Mia, whom grew up in Okinawa, Japan and together they have one daughter, Karis. She was born in December 2010.

Asher works for New Home Trends, a data and consulting company working with new home construction. New Home Trends completes constant in depth market analysis in order to help clients make the best possible decisions regarding when, where, or if to build a certain type of housing. In this position he is responsible for the primary research and organizational liaison work in Spokane and Kootenai Counties.

Prior to his work at New Home Trends, Asher worked at New Community Church as the Associate Director, leading teams of 8-10 interns, organizing churchwide communication as well as occasional preaching and teaching. He is an avid cyclist, runner and friend of Spokane.

John Fisher

Term ends: December 31, 2012
John has been a resident of Spokane since 1998 and is a graduate of Whitworth University and Eastern Washington University. Before he moved to Spokane John lived in Oregon, Minnesota, and Malaysia where he attended high school. He is a resident of the Garland Neighborhood and enjoys all the amenities that Spokane has to offer. He is married and expecting his first child in January 2011.

John is the HomeStarts Program Manager for Community Frameworks, a non-profit affordable housing developer. His responsibilities include land development, construction oversight and ensuring that HomeStarts activities result in successful affordable homeownership projects that support the mission and business objectives of Community Frameworks. He plans, coordinates and manages homeownership programs and projects to successful completion, and works collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders, partners, advisory groups, funders and clients to further Community Frameworks’ goals.

Prior to joining Community Frameworks, John worked as a Neighborhood Planner and developed a comprehensive plan for the East Central Neighborhood in Spokane, Washington. He has experience in organizing and facilitating community groups and creating input processes for the public. John has a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning and has served as an AmeriCorps volunteer to develop a housing conditions analysis of Spokane.

Gail Prosser

Term ends: December 31, 2013
Gail is a graduate of EWU and Fort Wright College of the Holy Names with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing. At Sacred Heart Medical Center she Certified in Neonatal Intensive Care and became the staff educator. In 1991, she joined the new, Thoracic Transplant (Heart and Lung) and Mechanical Heart Program. As a Certified Coordinator, she educated patients and coordinated care before, during and after surgery.

She is a board member of the Rockwood Neighborhood Council, a representative to the Community Assembly and former Chair of the All City Pedestrian, Transportation and Traffic Committee. Currently she serves on the Coalition for Safe and Complete Streets, advocating for Safe Routes to Schools. In 2009, she was appointed to the Mayor’s Design Advisory Committee.

Gail values the diverse expertise of the Plan Commissioners, who collaborate on issues related to Spokane’s Comprehensive Plan. She and her husband, John, own two small businesses, and together, have 5 children and 8 grandchildren. They travel extensively and spend family and friend time at their cabin at William’s Lake Resort.

Stanley Stirling

Term ends: December 31, 2013
Stanley Stirling is the third generation of Stirlings to live in the Hillyard area, and his grand-daughter Kaitlyn (5th Generation) will be starting at Rogers next year. Stan is a 1963 graduate of Rogers High School and went directly from graduation to boot camp. He spent 6 years in the Active Army and 6 Years in the Army Reserve at locations such as Germany, Texas and Vietnam (1963-1964). While stationed in Germany Stan met his wife Inge and they have been married 45 years with three sons and four grand children, all living in Hillyard or in the Spokane area.

In his 40 plus years in Surveying and Civil Engineering he worked for firms such as Adams Engineering, Bovay Engineering and most recently and for the past 25 years for Taylor Engineering, where he worked himself up from Designer to Principal. Having recently retired he is now a Principal Emeritus at Taylor Engineering and works part time as needed.

Stan has been on and off the Plan Commission for the past 17 years and has served as Vice president and President during that time period. He belongs to a number of Professional and Civic Organizations such as the City of Spokane Street Commission, the Mayors Design Advisory Commission, the American Planning Association and the American Water Association.

Stan’s hobbies include reading (history), fixing things around the house and of course watching and going to Green Bay Packers games in the fall with his three sons.