UD executive director Lars Gilberts to speak at Marketing Associates of Spokane meeting - June 8

Thursday, June 8, 2017

University District Update

Marketing Associates of Spokane welcomes members and non members alike to their June 8 luncheon meeting (at the Convention Center) at which Lars Gilberts, the new University District (UD) executive director, will share what’s new in the UD, provide an update on future UD development, and discuss how local public and private partners, such as Spokane Transit Authority, City of Spokane, regional universities, and Avista, to name a few, are working to revitalize this truly unique part of our city. RSVP per the MAS website to guarantee your spot.

 

As the University District's executive director, Lars is responsible for carrying out the mission and goals of The University District, providing strategic leadership, forming tactical partnerships and collaborations, managing the financial well-being of the organization, moving projects from creation to completion, and overseeing operations and staff.

A key role of the executive director is to realize the potential of the University District as a platform for the coordinated interests of higher education, research, local government, business and private development including expanding the health-care and life sciences sectors, as well as the “smart city” technology investments in the area.

Lars begins his new role on April 28 and currently serves as the statewide ALICE director at United Way of Broward County. The United Way ALICE Report equips businesses, nonprofits, funders, policy makers and the community with the common data and language to develop improved policy and practice for those who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed. Prior to joining United Way, Lars was the director of financial stability at Branches, Inc., where he served more than 10 years. While at Branches, Lars started and grew a variety of programs that promoted financial self-sufficiency through emergency services, VITA free tax preparation, financial education, personal financial coaching, the automotive microloan Ways to Work program and small business services.

While much of Lars’s professional experience has been with nonprofits, his education and original experience has been in the for profit arena. Lars completed a BBA in Marketing at the University of Texas Pan American as well as an MBA in Management from Barry University. He comes from a family of business and farm owners and before joining Branches, Lars salvaged a shipping logistics franchise that had had been in a long decline. These endeavors have been successful in large part because of Lars’s commitment to providing valuable opportunities for his clients and partners alike; from helping small businesses succeed, to providing integrated financial coaching for working families, to building cross sector coalitions. Lars has committed his life and career to helping people and organizations meet their missions in ways that help others do the same.

*Note: MAS members receive free parking. For Non-members, event parking is $8-10 at the Convention Center. Please provide 72 hours notice to receive reimbursement for cancellations.


For more information, please contact Leslie Hebert at hebertl@coffman.com or Katie Fitzpatrick at katief@garco.com.

Interested in being a Sponsor? Contact Steve Dampf at sdampf@hrassoc.com

If you have dietary restrictions for lunch, please contact Terri McRae Garrett at terri@alscarchitects.com