EDITOR'S NOTE from Oct. 7, 2024: Story edited to remove references to Whitworth University. The Journal reported incorrectly that Demetrius Palmer attended Whitworth and played football there, due to incorrect information provided by Palmer. 

Throughout his life and career, Demetrius Palmer has excelled at building relationships.

“He’s like a walking hug,” says Kitara Johnson, chief people officer at Spokane-based Excelsior Wellness. “He’s this guy with this spirit and this bright smile, and you can talk with him about anything.”

Palmer, 38, is the vice president of community outreach and engagement at Excelsior, president of the nonprofit Impact Motion Sports, owner of the Spokane Wolfpack semi-professional football team, and an entrepreneur.

Palmer moved to Spokane from Los Angeles at 18 years old at the suggestion of his older brother. After working multiple jobs, Palmer eventually opened a gym called Warrior Sports Academy and a meal-preparation company called Feel Good Fuel, which his wife of five years, Rashel Palmer, still operates today.

From 2013 to 2017, Palmer played for a couple semi-pro football teams, including the Spokane team he now owns.

“This opportunity came about and it was just the culture, the brotherhood, the togetherness, and being able to play a game that I loved so much that really saved me growing up, because where I came from, in general, you either played sports or you were a gang member,” Palmer says.

In 2018, Palmer was recognized on now-defunct Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living magazine’s 20 Under 40 list for the work he was doing in the community through Warrior Sports Academy, particularly for adolescents.

Shortly after winning that award, Palmer met Johnson, who took notice of his efforts in the community and arranged for him to meet Excelsior’s CEO Andrew Hill.

“I just came in thinking about making a community connection and told him my story and everything that I was doing in the community,” Palmer says. “(Hill) goes, ‘Well, why would you do that when we have all the resources here for you to operate?'”

Palmer began volunteering at Excelsior for about 12 hours a week.

“At this time, I actually had three businesses running at the same time,” he says, noting that he bought the Spokane Wolfpack and took control of the Impact Motion Sports, which operates the semi-pro team, in 2019.

It didn't take long for Palmer to be hired on full time at Excelsior, first as a life coach and P.E. teacher—the health care and wellness nonprofit previously had a school on its campus.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, which forced Palmer to close his gym and halt the Wolfpack operations.

Palmer quickly rose through the ranks at Excelsior and eventually was named to his current role.

The kids at Excelsior still call Palmer “coach,” he says.

“That’s not just related to sports,” Palmer says. “That’s also related to being a life coach, someone who’s a trusted source that they can talk to and build a relationship to build a safe place.”

One of Palmer’s many roles in his current position is to connect with people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds in Spokane communities to find out their needs.

“When you talk about inclusion and cultural competency, it’s going into the community, seeing what their needs are, and giving them access to health care,” Palmer says.

Like his role with Excelsior, Palmer’s leadership of the Spokane Wolfpack is also rooted in giving back.

Each player on the Wolfpack is responsible for 15 hours of community service during the offseason. With 55 players on the team, that comes out to over 800 hours of community service each year.

“For me, the big picture is, at 38 years old, to lead 55 men of all different ages, different backgrounds, and have an opportunity to help them develop as men on and off the field,” Palmer says.