Events

Stacey Cowles will share insights as to why the Cowles Company is donating the Spokesman-Review to a local nonprofit organization.

Brief Speaker Bio
Mr. Cowles has served as President of the Cowles Company and Publisher of The Spokesman-Review newspaper for over 33 years.

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People with primary brain tumors or metastasis in their brain from cancer in other places of their body used to have to have neurosurgeons go through healthy brain tissue to access their diseased tissue. Now tumors can be targeted for removal without damaging healthy tissue. Spokane has assembled one of the top teams in the country for this work.

Brief Speaker Bio
After majoring in natural sciences, Bo taught elementary school science in the Spokane Schools and moved on to a medical/dental division of Procter and Gamble where he rose in management.  After 16 years in sales and marketing with Rubbermaid and the Newell companies, he founded a software company that got its footing after six years of development.  When 911 hit, the bottom fell out of a good portion of the software development industry. Since 2002, Bo has managed a non-invasive brain surgery center called the Gamma Knife of Spokane. In 2005, he and three physician partners executed a buyout of the program and have developed, what the manufacturers called, “the best example of a community – based Gamma Knife of Center in North America..

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Summary of the "short session," scheduled to end in mid-March. A former leader in the House, he is now partway through his first term in the Senate. Currently, he sits on the Ways & Means Committee and the Health & Long-term Care Committee, two very important committees to Spokane. His leadership skills have also been recognized, as he's been appointed to be the majority (D) floor leader. Still, Marcus acts very non-partisan and is widely respected.

Brief Speaker Bio
Born and raised in Spokane, Marcus Riccelli graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and from the University of Washington with a Master of Public Administration. From 2007 to 2010, Marcus served as U.S.Senator Maria Cantwell’s Eastern Washington Director; from 2010 to 2012 as Senior Policy Advisor to Washington State Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown. He was elected to the statelegislature in 2012 (House) and 2024 to the Senate. Marcus worked with advocates and colleagues from both sides of the aisle to prime sponsor and pass legislation creating the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. He also worked on the bipartisan transportation package that makes significant investments in the North Spokane Corridor, Central City Line, and U-District Bridge, which will expand employment opportunities in the Spokane region and reduce travel time by several million hours each year. He championed funding to expand oral health access to an additional 60,000 people, increasing dental visits by 150,000 annually. He also passed multiple bills expanding access to free school meals, benefiting 670,000 Washington students.

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The Safe and Healthy Spokane Task Force is a community-led effort focused on identifying priority strategies to improve public safety, strengthen behavioral health, and better coordinate systems across Spokane County. The Task Force is working to develop a shared regional vision and implementation plan that addresses the interconnected challenges of mental health, criminal justice, emergency response, and public safety. Areas of focus include expanding intervention and diversion programs, modernizing facilities, coordinating investments, and recommending policy and funding solutions.

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Dr. Passerini is now the 2nd lay president of Gonzaga in its history. She comes from the University of Seton Hall, a long way from Spokane. What are her impressions of the higher education landscape here, regionally and statewide? What particular initiatives has she been able to identify in the nearly year she's been at the helm of the university?

Brief Speaker Bio
Dr. Passerini joined Gonzaga in 2025 as its 27th president. She previously served as provost, senior executive vice president, and interim president at Seton Hall University; as distinguished chair and dean at St. John’s University; and as professor of Management Information Systems and dean of the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Honors College. She holds an M.B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the George Washington University. Prior to academia, she worked as a management consultant in the automotive and telecom industries. Her research spans knowledge management, entrepreneurship education, and technology management. She has published extensively and received numerous teaching, research, and service awards.

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Updates on recent reforms and improvements in the criminal justice system, future reform options, and a chance for members to weigh in.

Brief Speaker Bio
Spokane District Court Judge and chair of the Spokane County Community Engagement Committee.

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As VP of Operations at Skywalker Holdings, Chris oversaw the construction of the innovative exterior of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is opening in 2026 and will be a must-see for all Star Wars fans.
Brief Speaker Bio
VP of Operations/Skywalker Holdings; Adjunct Professor of Engineering at Gonzaga School of Engineering; former President of Hanson Worldwide.

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