Seven professionals from the real estate, education, and professional fields will be honored in the Journal’s class of 2023 Icons. 

This year’s Icons are: 

• Cher and Jim Desautel, founders of what’s now the DH public relations firm. 

• Judy and Steve Meyer, formerly of the Idaho Board of Education and Parkwood Business Properties, respectively. 

• Tom Quigley, formerly of Kiemle Hagood commercial real estate brokerage.

• Bill Robinson, former president of Whitworth University. 

• Bob Tomlinson formerly of Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Real Estate. 

The Journal selected award recipients, which comprise the fifth-ever class of Icons, from nominations received from Journal readers in recent months. To be eligible, Icon honorees must be 70 years old or older and retired or no longer involved in day-to-day operations. They must have spent the bulk of their careers in the Inland Northwest, and because the awards aren’t given posthumously, recipients must be living. 

The 2023 class of honorees will be recognized at an event to be held noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, in the Centennial Ballroom at the Spokane Convention Center. 

Sponsored by Ferguson Wellman, Bank of America, Innovia Foundation, and Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Icons event is the first of five the Journal will host this year. Other events are Women In Leadership, in June; 2023 Rising Stars, in September; Best Places To Work, in October; and Workforce Summit, in December. 

Those events are in addition to the monthly Elevating the Conversation webcast, which remains virtual. The next Elevating the Conversation will be Thursday, March 30, and will feature Anna Franklin, chief DEI officer at Providence INW Washington, discussing diversity, equity, and inclusion.