Many companies in the Inland Northwest may be unaware that it may be illegal under civil rights laws to prohibit transgender individuals from using gender-specific restrooms that don't match their gender identity. Just over a year ago, the federal Equa

As we reflect upon the last 30 years of the Journal of Business and the greater Spokane business climate, an old Tim McGraw song, 'My Next Thirty Years,” comes to mind. The song begins: 'I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age. The ending o

Heading into the 1980s, Eastern Washington and North Idaho-renamed the Inland Northwest-were still heavily dependent on natural resources for our economic health. Then the national and regional economies went into a nosedive. A generation of leaders s

In 1986, the Spokane economy was in the doldrums. The last two high-rise office buildings to be built downtown had just come on line five years earlier. The opening of the Seafirst (now Bank of America) and Farm Credit Banks (now Wells Fargo) buildings ha

Congratulations to the Journal of Business for 30 years of service to the Spokane business community! It's both an honor and a privilege to be asked to contribute to this special anniversary edition of a publication that is anticipated and relied upon b

I have been a subscriber to the Journal of Business since my early days with Inland Imaging. In 1986, I was 30 years old and had just completed my first year as CEO at Inland Imaging. Our new imaging center on South Cowley Street was struggling to stay op

I came to Spokane in the early 1980s, so I have seen firsthand how education has evolved in this community over the last 30 years. When I arrived here, I was in my late 20s and had no intention of staying very long. The plan was to stay here with friends

Recently, I sat down with members of Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Spokane City Council, the Legislature, and local labor organizations to talk about two things that we all agree are important to Spokane: jobs and agriculture. The reason I visited

The next time you go into your neighborhood store, you may notice something new. More than 100 small businesses in Spokane have hung posters in their storefronts to highlight the need for immigration reform that includes a road map to am one of it