Biography

Community Involvement

  • Member of the Spokane Valley Kiwanis Club
  • Former Spokane County Conservation Futures Land Evaluation Committee member
  • Spokane County Sheriffs Citizens Academy Graduate
  • Spokane Valley Fire Departments, Fire Ops 101 Graduate
  • Former Spokane County Fair & Expo Center Advisory Board Member and past chair (5 years)
  • Spokane Interstate Fair Camelid Superintendent
  • Valleyfest Supporter
  • Bloomsday T-Shirt Distribution Table Captain / Volunteer

City Council Experience

  • Mayor of the City of Spokane Valley (2020-Present)
  • Chair of the Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC) Policy Board in 2021,2020, and 2015
  • Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) Board member and past chair (2019-Present)
  • WA State Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB) member representing all cities accross the state (2019-Present)
  • Chair of the City of Spokane Valley Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) 
  • Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) and SNAP Financial Access board member (2011 - 2015)
  • Member of the Association of Washington Cities (AWC), Ad-Hoc Rail Committee (2014 - 2015)
  • Initiated the City of Spokane Valley Economic Development Program
  • Worked with the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce in representing local priorities at the State and Federal Level

Education

  • Awarded Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities
  • Goodrich Leadership Excellence Program Graduate
  • Certified LEAN Manufacturing Practitioner
  • Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science from Eastern Washington University with minors in Math, Physics, and Communications.
  • DECA state champion
  • American Legion’s Evergreen Boy State participant

Professional Background

2013 to Present. Working at Spokane Industries (a family owned and operated steel foundry located in the Spokane Valley Industrial Park) starting out as their IT Manager responsible for all computer systems and production integration, now also responsibile for the production scheduling, shipping, and receiving teams.

2016 to Present. Owner and publisher of the Spokane Valley Current and the Liberty Lake Splash Community Newspapers. These community newspapers publish monthly offering free pickup at over 200 locations across the greater spokane valley area and have a combined reach of over 34,000. At the Splash and Current we are committed to "Honoring localcommunities and encouraging citizen involvement."

2018 to Present. Spokane Valley City Councilmember. Elected in November of 2011 I served my first term on the City of Spokane Valley City Council and then was elected again in 2017 for another term on the City Council. 

2020 to Present. Spokane Valley Mayor. Selected by my fellow city councilmembers in January of 2020 to serve as the Mayor, presiding officer, and spokesperson for the City Council.

2004 to 2013. IT Administrator I, II, and III for Goodrich Aerospace, a manufacturing facility of carbonfiber brake pads for airplanes. I traveled many different facilities helping with technology projects and best practices for shop floor integration and IT operations.

 

Personal

My family are longtime Spokane Valley residents, who settled in this area before Washington State was formed, placing us on the Washington State Pioneers list. When my great grandfather first settled here, he had a dairy farm (the East End Dairy) where Sprague and I90 are now (it was lost in the great depression). Many people still remember my grandfather, Chuck Wick, who, with partners, started the Spokane Recycling Company, built homes along Wick Street in the Spokane Valley, and worked on the Spokane Valley Incorporation efforts back in the 1950’s. My Father, Tim Wick, served seven years on the East Valley School Board as well.

I am happily married to my wonderful wife Danica of seven years, have three beautiful daughters, Sabriel (who is nine years old), Hermione (who is seven), and Celeana (four); and a son, Lincoln (who just turned three).

I have been involved and interested in the future of Spokane Valley for a long time. I first ran for City Council in 2003 and, with 51 other people, vied to be a part of the initial City Council. In 2009 and 2011 I applied for open city council positions and made it to the final decision round. In November 2011 and again in 2017 I was given the opportunity and pleasure of serving the Citizens of Spokane Valley as an elected Spokane Valley City Council member and was given the opportunity to expand my role by serving as your Spokane Valley Mayor representing not only you as citizens but also my fellow council members.

Hearing that one of our local community newspapers was going to be closing, my wife and I stepped up to take over the leadership of the Liberty Lake Splash and Greater Spokane Valley Current in January of 2016.