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Paul Casey, our new Executive Director, brings a wealth of Leadership knowledge and a deep connection to Leadership Tri-Cities.

In this role, Casey will lead and guide the organization’s programs, operations, and strategic planning.

Let’s get to know Paul!

Question 1: Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to become Leadership Tri-Cities new executive director?

I’m an educator at heart, starting with being a 5th grade teacher and then a vice-principal and elementary principal before becoming an executive pastor. Along the way, I threw my name in the hat for being a workshop speaker at teacher conventions and loved it! That expanded to speaking at administrator conventions, and I started developing a hunger for learning about leadership. 

I started reading and listening to (remember cassette tapes?) everything on leadership that I could get my hands on. This began developing in me a desire to help others grow in their leadership skills, and I started my business Growing Forward Services eight years ago full-time. 

In 2005-06, I signed up for Leadership Tri-Cities, Class XI. I had been in a bubble in my industry and didn’t interact much with the community. LTC opened my eyes to all the incredible leaders and organizations here. And it started to bring me out of my shell, having an increased desire to make community connections and relationships. I joined the LTC board as leadership development director, and later class director of class XXII. 

Seeing the volunteer board work so hard while each member had a day job made me think how LTC needed a paid employee to keep LTC on the community’s radar–since it was accomplishing great things every year. Finally, the board made the decision two years ago to hire an Executive Director–funny, it was while I was facilitating their strategic planning retreat!

I was approached in February to consider the position. I laughed because I’m an entrepreneur with a more-than-full-time job! After confirming it could be part-time and they’d be flexible with my schedule of building community leaders through coaching/training, I agreed. Being ED of LTC was my dream job before starting my business, and now I get to do both!

Question 2: What are your top priorities for the organization in the coming year?

• Priority 1: Visibility of LTC in the Community. People have heard of LTC but don’t really know what it is and the impact it’s having.
• Priority 2: Re-engaging its over 550 alumni. If each person would play one volunteer role, even if very small, I can’t imagine how strong this organization will continue to be.
• Priority 3: Strengthen the infrastructure. The board has done amazing at keeping LTC going for 26 years, and it’s time to nail down policies/procedures/checklists–and creative new ideas to make things efficient.

Question 3: What do you consider to be the biggest challenge and how do you plan to tackle it?

Speaking to the priorities above, I plan to build relationships one at a time with board members, sponsors, alumni, and new community connections.

I want to listen to what needs to stay “in marble” (LTC traditions to keep) and what needs to be “in sand” (moldable aspects of LTC that need to flex with the times). 

Question 4: What would you consider the most impactful leadership principle and how do you apply it?

It’s a toss between Inspire a Shared Vision and Encourage the Heart. 

A leader needs to convince their team by example that they care about their people with affirmation/recognition, and they have a compelling direction where they are taking them.

If the employee feels those two things, they’ll follow that leader anywhere.

Question 5: If you could have a superpower, what would it be and how would you used it to benefit LTC?

Omnipresence!

OK, only God has that, but maybe the Flash, who could dart to coffee shops and companies throughout a day quickly to make connections. Be fully present, and then onto the next person to add value to.

Question 6: Can you share a fun fact or interesting tidbit about yourself that most people don’t know?

My dad was a professional volleyball player, making it to the highest level in the USA before men were allowed to play at the Olympic level.

For me, I read 61 books last year–on leadership and personal growth. I listen to comedians while driving around town. And pizza and cheesecake are my favorite comfort foods.

Garrick (Rick) Redden is the 2022-2023 Leadership Tri-Cities Alumnus of the Year.

He is currently a manager in instructional systems design at the Pacific Northwest National Library and the National Security Directorate.

After graduating from Class XVII, Rick jumped onto the board and held the critical sponsorship and events director role for five years. The amount of work involved in this role was often behind the scenes, and Rick threw himself into this responsibility.

With the transition of Leadership Tri-Cities’ governance structure in 2017, Rick was elected board chair- a position he held for over half a decade.

Rick is a workhorse. He is conscientious, dependable, and driven by heart—a giving heart that grows bigger in helping others. How much he cared showed through his actions.

When those on the board look back at the many successes and high points LTC experienced in the past six years, we know that Rick played an integral role in making all this happen. His varied responsibilities over many years carried significant elements of our organization.

We can think of no one more deserving of recognition by Leadership Tri-Cities.

Class XXVI is excited to announce that they raised over $50,000 to launch Mariposa, the new thrift store benefiting Domestic Violence Services of Benton & Franklin Counties.

All $50,000 of these funds will go directly towards much needed improvements for the store as well as providing clothing, toiletries, and other important items for local victims of domestic violence as they escape dangerous situations – often with only the clothing on their backs.

Click below to see the recap video of Tri-Cities’ most fashionable night.

Thank you to Time Magic Studios for creating the video!

Thank you to our Sponsors

We would also like to once again thank our generous sponsors and vendors for making this event a success.

Sponsors:

• Banner Bank, Platinum
• Ohl Family Foundation, Gold
• Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, Gold
• Impakt Health, Gold
• Bechtel, Gold
• WRPS, Gold
• Pitkin Cox Piano Studio, Gold
• Soft Water Specialists, Silver

Vendors

• Food: CG Public House
• Wine: Kiona Vineyards
• Beer: Moonshot Brewing
• Venue: Uptwon Theatre
• Music: Stay Sharp Events
• Photography: Nestor Salgado Photography
• Videography: Time Magic Studios
• Print: Abadan

To see your donations in action, please join us for the official Mariposa ribbon cutting at 2pm on Friday, June 2.

On April 1, Leadership Tri-Cities (LTC) and Domestic Violence Service of Benton Franklin County (DVSBF) are holding a joint-fundraiser to support Domestic Violence Survivors in the Tri-Cities.

Join LTC Class XXVI & DVSBF for an elegant evening of style and support with heavy hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, and featured fashion show!

The Ticket Cart is now open! Prices are set to increase on March 27th, so make sure to lock in the early bird pricing.

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that one in four women will be a domestic abuse victim of some sort, and that one in nine men will also be a victim of domestic violence.

For many women, men, and children in the Tri-Cities, escape from these dangerous situations is unobtainable without the help of crucial community programs and support.

The Fundraiser

This spring, Leadership Tri-Cities (LTC) Class XXVI is proud to join with Domestic Violence Services of Benton & Franklin Counties (DVSBF) in helping to launch their new thrift store providing clothing, household goods, jobs, and job training for clients restarting their lives after escaping domestic violence.

To raise funds for this project as well as general awareness about the store, we are offering you the opportunity to join us in an exciting new community event: Fashion With Compassion! Fashion With Compassion is a two-part event; first, a world class social hour with a silent auction and heavy hors d’oeuvres; and second, a full-length fashion show featuring local leaders and local survivors as well as clothing primarily sourced from the store.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, April 1, 2023

Location: Uptown Theatre – 1300 Jadwin Avenue, Richland, WA 99354.

Tickets: $75 GA or $125 VIP.

Tickets will increase in price on March 27th.

VIP Tickets Include:

• Premium Front Row Seating
• Early Event Access
• Special VIP Bonus Bag

Timeline:

• 5:00PM – VIP Early Access
• 5:30PM – General Doors Open
• 5:30PM – Social Hour & Silent Auction
• 7:00PM – Fashion Show Begins

Attire: Retro Cocktail

Support Domestic Violence Survivors in the Tri-Cities. Link to purchase tickets.

Article by: Class XXVI Communication Team

Leadership Tri-Cities Class XXVI is getting ready to break out paint brushes, hammers, and cocktail gowns in preparation for our class project.

You read that right— cocktail gowns.

We are organizing a fundraising event, Fashion with Compassion , to raise funds for Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties (DVS). Some of the money will be used to renovate retail space in Kennewick for a thrift store.

The store will be used as a resource for DVS clients to select clothing and household goods for themselves and their children and will also be open to the public as a second-hand retail store. Funds raised through sales at the store will pay for programs and services without the restrictions that come from grants.

The Project is multi-faceted

The activities include:

• Light construction and remodeling of the retail space
• Branding the thrift store and rebranding DVS (new logo, website)
• Community outreach and advocacy
• Fundraising

Any funds remaining after the construction and branding is complete will be donated to DVS.

Abuse isn’t a private family issue

In 2020, the Kennewick Police Department investigated 618 domestic violence-related offenses. Of those, 388 involved a weapon— in 87% of those cases, the weapon was identified as hands, feet, or fists.

State-wide, about 20% of murders, 59% of kidnappings, 55% of simple assaults, and 31% of aggravated assaults are directly linked to domestic or intimate partner abuse. Law enforcement agencies across Washington investigated 18,002 reported violations of no-contact orders in 2020— 77% of those were related to domestic violence. And this is just what victims are willing or able to report.

This is not a private family issue.

Abuse impacts every facet of our community, from education and law enforcement to social services and employers. Domestic violence is one of the leading indicators of poverty as victims try to reestablish themselves financially after leaving an abuser who may have prevented them from working and denied them access to funds. It’s estimated that as many as 20% of children in the United States are exposed to domestic violence every year. Children who are exposed to violence in the home are more likely to drop out of high school before graduation and are more likely to imitate and transfer learned behaviors to the classroom setting.

From LTC Class XXVI Member, Jenna Kochenauer

Abuse isn’t about anger— it’s about control. My ex-husband never had a problem controlling his anger. He was perfectly capable of commanding his emotions at work, with friends, in social settings. He would pinch me on the back of the arm if I said something he didn’t like in a public setting. The anger was a tool that he used behind closed doors to generate fear so that I would do what he wanted.

He only hit me twice, both times in the first year of our marriage. The first time, I told him if he hit me again that I would leave. When he hit me again, I left. We reconciled a few months later, after he went to counseling and attended anger management classes. He never got better at managing his anger— I got better at predicting his needs in order to prevent angry outbursts. I became timid and submissive, living in constant fear of what might set him off and working constantly to right the wrongs in advance.

He never hit me again after that second time, but he would put me in headlocks and tell me, step by step, what he had learned in hand-to-hand-combat military training about breaking a neck.

“You’d fall to the ground and no one would ever find your body.”

He would pretend to grab a knife from the kitchen counter and press his fist against my chest as if he was stabbing me. He would shove me if I had the audacity to argue with him. He once shoved me to the ground so hard that it caused a miscarriage. I had to perform undesirable sex acts in order to “earn” money for clothes. I was forbidden from talking to my family, from participating in “extra- curricular activities,” and from going to church.

Control is achieved through physical intimidation and assault, sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, psychological abuse, and financial abuse. Your culture, religion, and sexual identity can also be used as tools for controlling you. We’re seeing more and more abuse in same-sex relationships. Abuse leads to isolation, and victims carry a lot of shame and guilt, believing that the abuse is their fault, not the abusers.

It’s during the attempt to separate from the relationship that abusers become the most violent and are more likely to kill their victim.

Having an agency like DVS is critical to saving and improving the lives of domestic abuse victims and their children.

How can I help?

Thank you for continuing to support Leadership Tri-Cities and the work that they do training up new community leaders in the Tri-Cities! It’s our hope to have a tremendous turnout at Fashion for Compassion and we hope to see many LTC Alumni faces in attendance.

Please take a few minutes right now to purchase your tickets for Fashion with Compassion and plan to join us at the event on April 1.

If you can’t attend, please watch for links to participate in the silent auction or consider mailing a personal or corporate donation for the DVS project to:

Leadership Tri-Cities
Fashion with Compassion Fundraiser
PO Box 4660
Pasco, WA 99302-4660

Article by: Class XXVI Communication Team

As the BEST CLASS EVER, Class XXVI members are gaining practical experience and applied knowledge in leadership and project management.

We are connecting with the right groups & leaders. We are strengthening our interpersonal communication skills, learning the importance of diversity, developing creative problem solving techniques, and discovering our area’s unique needs and complexities.

Over the Halfway Point

Having recently returned from our time in Olympia and being over halfway through our year, we can all safely say that we now have a new appreciation for the Tri-Cities.

From our first days in Wenatchee meeting our classmates and voting for our board – the leaders of the leaders – to choosing our class project and establishing a project manager, we continue to grow to have the heart, eyes, hands, feet, and mind of a leader.

“Having grown up in the Tri-Cities, it’s incredible to see how much this area has expanded since my childhood,” says Jamie Ohl Turner, Class XXVI Fundraising & Advocacy Chair. “Even so, one thing that hasn’t changed is the heart and compassion for servant leadership found throughout the Mid-Columbia. Being a part of Leadership Tri-Cities, I have greatly appreciated the chance to reconnect with this region and to have a deeper dive into all that makes the Tri-Cities such a wonderful place to live, work, and play!”

Kendra Palomarez, Class XXVI Secretary, says she has learned so much throughout her LTC experience – about the community, herself, and different industries. The most impactful part of her experience, however, has been the connections with her classmates. “When my dad unexpectedly passed away last month, my classmates were quick to rally and show their support,” she says. “As a relative newcomer to the Tri-Cities, it made me feel like I had a family here.”

Committing to Core Values

In Class XXVI, we are committed to a year of growth, serving each other and our community, and facilitating sustainable change with joy and open-mindedness. Luckily, our Class Project in partnership with Domestic Violence Services of Benton & Franklin Counties (DVSBF) will help us accomplish just that:

• Growth – Helps an established, local non-profit expand its services and support to the community
• Service – Provides Class XXVI the opportunity to utilize our unique and diverse talents to support a well-deserving organization
• Joy – Whatever Class XXVI does, we will do it with joy, as well tangentially help victims find joy in the pathway out of abuse
• Open-Mindedness – Class XXVI members’ personal understanding of domestic abuse will undoubtedly be challenged and expanded

“Class 26 carries the tradition of collaborative excellence in service to our community,” says Kyle Cox, LTC Class XXVI Director & Past President. “They saw an immediate need to support Domestic Violence Services, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work. I’m proud to see each class member bring their unique strengths for greater collective impact.”

Launching a thrift store with Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties (DVSBF)

We invite you to join us in in helping to launch the new DVSBF thrift store which will provide clothing, household goods, jobs, and job training for clients restarting their lives after escaping domestic violence.

To raise funds for this project as well as general awareness about the store, we are offering you the opportunity to join us in an exciting new community event: Fashion With Compassion! Happening on Saturday, April 1, Fashion With Compassion is a two-part event; first, a world class social hour with a silent auction and heavy hors d’oeuvres, and second, a full-length fashion show featuring local leaders and local survivors as well as clothing primarily sourced from the store.

“I encourage all of our alumni and friends to support Class XXVI as they make their project a reality,” says Elizabeth McLaughlin, LTC Board Alumni Relations Chair. “Make a difference by being the difference: your support and generosity will directly benefit the lives of DVSBF clients.”

Please mark your calendars for April 1 as we’d love to see you at our show!

Tickets are on sale now.

Leadership Tri-Cities is now accepting resumes to fill the position of Executive Director.

The Executive Director will provide leadership and promote leadership development in all aspects of the activities and programs of Leadership Tri-Cities (LTC). The Executive director will develop effective strategic relationships with individuals, businesses, organizations, and institutions while representing LTC in the community. They will promote leadership development in the larger Tri-Cities community with an understanding and appreciation of its growing diversity and complexity. The ED will work with the Board to develop effective leadership programs focusing on business skill development, community awareness and emerging issues. The ED will secure financial resources that will ensure financial stability and sustainability for LTC.

If you are interested in serving Leadership Tri-Cities as the Executive Director, please review the Position Description.

To Apply: Send a resume and cover letter to ltcwa.secretary@gmail.com. In your cover letter, please share how your experiences align with the qualifications in the announcement. The position will be open until filled.

LTC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applications for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender expression and identification, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as covered veteran or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws.

Save the Date! Leadership Tri-Cities’ 25th Anniversary. We will be presenting Class XXVI and celebrating the previous 25 classes. Featuring the LTC Alumni House Band. Purchase tickets at https://auctria.events/LTCCelebrationEvent

An updated Calendar of Events for Class XXVI, 2022 – 2023 has been posted at
Calendar of Events 2022-2023 – Leadership Tri-Cities (leadershiptricities.com)