Erin Williams Hueter is the executive director of the Health Sciences & Services Authority of Spokane County — an organization that in 2024 distributed 19 matching grant awards for bioscience-based economic development totaling $5.7 million, up from $1.9 million in 2023.

The grant funding is nondiluted and comes with the stipulation that companies must hire workers from the region — a provision that has incentivized companies to anchor their business and growth in the region.

For Williams Hueter, a lifelong Spokanite, the work is meaningful and serves her core mission: to make Spokane, her hometown, a better place.  

Education: Bachelor’s degree in social work, Pacific University.

Do you have a favorite quote or motto? It may not be traditional, but it’s a Dave Grohl quote: “I don’t want to be perfect. I want to be badass.” For me, it’s a reminder to keep learning, take risks, and try new things. Perfection is overrated — growth is more interesting.

How do you relax and unwind? Many of my waking thoughts involve food — I love cooking. I also spend a lot of time exercising, watching movies, hiking, kayaking, observing wildlife around our home, playing with my dog, and spending time with family. All three of our kids live in town, and our first grandchild just turned one. There’s a lot to enjoy.

What career or job would you want to have if you weren’t in your current role? Growing up, I wanted to be an interior designer — and that still sounds fun, along with being a chef, film critic, or yoga instructor. But the truth is, I love nonprofit leadership. Someday, I’d be interested in leading an organization with a broader reach, as long as I could continue making a meaningful impact in the place that matters most to me: my hometown.