Jene Ray- Board CHair

Associate Director- Northeast COmmunity Center

Director- The Zone at NECC

Jene was a classroom teacher for twenty years, teaching pre-school through high school before moving to the district level to teach and coach teachers. Jene’s experience includes five years of state level education funding and policy work in Olympia, as well as directing operations for an education research center at University of Washington Tacoma focused on trauma, implicit bias and the effects of poverty on instruction. Currently Jene serves as the Associate Director of the Northeast Community Center and ZONE Director, coordinating support for multi-generational outcomes in housing, safety, health, economics, and education across NE Spokane.

Interested in the Lumen board? Contact Jene at: jray@lumenhighschool.org

Zinzi Kellen
Assistant Director of Campus Engagement- GOnzaga University

Zinzi Kellen was born and raised in South Africa. She has a Social Sciences Degree from Rhodes University. She has worked and volunteered for several non-profit organizations in South Africa and the US and has a deep passion for community engagement. Zinzi currently works for the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) at Gonzaga University (GU) as the Assistant Director of Campus Engagement. In this role, Zinzi leads CCE’s efforts to connect GU students and staff to the community through a variety of community engagement programs, activities, and partnerships.

Cory Plager
Vice President Public FInance- DA DAvidSon

Throughout his many years in educational finance, Cory Plager has supported 22 K-12 school districts developing budgets and managing financial realities across Eastern Washington. Cory worked in the school finance industry for 15 years where he was responsible for reviewing and approving financial statements, budgets, and school levy and bond certifications for the region. With extensive experience analyzing and interpreting state legislature, Cory has been appointed to various statewide committees and is a guest presenter at Gonzaga University, Washington State University and the WASBO, WSSDA and WASA conferences.

DArcy McMUrray
Realtor- 4 Degrees Real Estate

Darcy was born and raised in Spokane and has a deep passion for empowering young people in our community to achieve their full potential. For more than 15 years, Darcy dedicated her professional life to education, coaching and mentoring young people. She worked as an educator at  Spokane Public Schools serving in Title 1 buildings, as the Director of the Warner Pacific University Early Learning Center, and as Assistant Volleyball coach at Whitworth University.  Most recently, Darcy found a second career love as a real estate agent at 4 Degrees Real Estate.

Barbara GongYin
Community Initiatives Manager- The Zone

Barbara is a lifelong Spokane resident and an enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe. As a teen mom, out of necessity, she sought out resources needed to provide a good start for her daughter. This eventually led into partnering with local policy makers, nonprofit organizations, community activists/organizers, and grassroots community members to elevate other community needs. Barbara works at the ZoNE as the Community Initiatives Manager where she focuses on Expanded Learning and School-Community Partnerships in Northeast Spokane. In her spare time, she enjoys thrifting and spending time with her three children.

Thad O’Sullivan
Attorney

Thad is a local attorney at law and specializes in employment, regulatory matters, contract drafting, compliance, and enforcement. Thad worked in human resources in benefits enrollment and administration, payroll, recruiting, and health and safety compliance prior to his career in law.

Gene Sementi
retired Superintendent

Gene recently retired following a thirty-one year career with the West Valley (WA) School District. While with West Valley he served as an assistant principal, elementary principal, middle school principal, high school principal, was the Assistant Superintendent of teaching and learning for seven years and finished his career as the Superintendent for eight years. Dr. Sementi was also an adjunct professor in the Washington State University Principal Preparation Program for eighteen years. Dr. Sementi was a founding member of the Eastern Washington Quality Schools Coalition, served on the WASA Legislative Committee and served as the NEWASA President.

Linda McDonald
Retired Executive Assistant

Linda is dedicated to rooting out injustices in the world and helping others see the strengths in themselves so they can use those strengths the advocate for themselves and others. For over a decade she helped run a local teen parent non profit and was involved as a mentor and support to parenting teenagers in the city of Spokane. Linda is a retired executive assistant, and spends much of her time putting on events to support Lumen, visiting her grandchildren and caring for the Lumen students and staff.

Andrea Estes
Consultant

Andrea was born and raised in Spokane and was drawn back to her family and Spokane after having their second child, now five and two! Andrea has had a career in the nonprofit and social justice sector, mostly focused on advocating for better, more equitable approaches to funding. She had a recent role managing a multi-million dollar grants portfolio focused on economic mobility and family well-being for Ballmer Group and currently consults as it allows for flexibility while raising a family that traditional employers don't often afford. Andrea has an MBA and a bachelors in Anthropology, and most recently has been invited into a fellowship for state-level advocacy with Moms Rising.

Pam PArr
Executive Director- SPokane Housing Authority

Pam is the Executive Director of the Spokane Housing Authority, an organization providing community members access to safe healthy and affordable homes. Pam’s belief that a home is the foundation that supports every other opportunity for people is what guided her to this rewarding career path more than 30 years ago. Pam worked in youth services prior to her career in affordable housing. Pam also serves on the Boards of Better Health Together Board and the Spokane Low-Income Housing Consortium.

ADVISORs TO THE BOARD:

AMY LLOYD
CEO - ALLOYD CONSULTING
FOUNDER - FACE IT TODAY

Having her daughter at a young age, Amy Lloyd believes it is critical to empower girls before life altering decisions are made out of a lack of confidence. She graduated from Eastern Washington University and for over 20 years has had a successful career in advertising, working on behalf of large, national brands like Time Inc and Conde' Nast. Her latest endeavor, launching Face It Today, empowers girls and young women through self-care and entrepreneurship.

Monthly Board Meeting: 3rd Thursday of each month 2:00pm @ Lumen High School….contact Jene Ray for more information. **The August regularly scheduled board meeting has been cancelled and the Lumen board instead will hold a special meeting on August 4th, 2022. See our portal for details or contact Jene Ray for more information.