BELLEVUE, Wash. (January 12, 2021) – AAA Washington — the pre-eminent provider of emergency road service, leisure travel and personal-lines insurance to 1.2 million members in Washington and North Idaho — has elected Greg Bever, life-long Spokane resident and retired publisher of Spokane’s Journal of Business, as Chair. He has served on the AAA Washington Board of Trustees since 2011.
“I am honored to be able to serve as board chair of AAA Washington,” Bever said. “This is particularly meaningful to me because of the remarkable makeup of this board. All members are highly respected leaders in their communities and together we are dedicated to diversity, inclusion and equity throughout the AAA organization. We are a diverse board committed to respect of one another and the entire makeup of our organization. For this I am thankful and proud of our board.”
Greg Bever was named Publisher of Spokane’s Journal of Business in 1997 and served in that capacity until retirement in 2012. He has been an active Inland Northwest community member previously chairing Greater Spokane Incorporated, Visit Spokane, Forward Fairchild, Washington State Parks Foundation, and the Community Colleges of Spokane. He taught marketing classes at Eastern Washington University. Bever earned his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University and his master’s degree in Organization Leadership from Gonzaga University.
Bever considers his greatest contribution to the Spokane Region his involvement with the creation and development of Mirabeau Point, a 77-acre park along the Spokane River in the City of Spokane Valley. A $34 million campus which includes a community civic and cultural center, Valley YMCA, Performing Arts Center, Senior Center, Children’s Home Society and Universal Handicap Park. He was also involved with the development and completion of the Centennial Trail along the Spokane River.
Additional newly elected officers of the AAA Washington Board of Trustees include: Ken Ryals, executive director of the King County Library System Foundation; and Kirk Nelson was re-elected as president and CEO of AAA Washington until his retirement in summer 2021.
Continuing Board of Trustees are: Don Brunell (Vancouver), retired President of Association of Washington Businesses; Gigi Burke (Everett), retired co-owner and executive vice president of Crown Distributing; José Gaitán (Seattle), managing member of the Gaitán Group PLLC; Paula Hammond (Tumwater), senior vice president, WSP USA; Carolyn Kelly (Seattle), retired president and COO of The Seattle Times; Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange (Seattle), president of Seattle Central College; David Madeira (Gig Harbor), Vice Chair of America’s Automotive Trust; Denise Moriguchi (Mercer Island), CEO of Uwajimaya; Patti Paris (Moses Lake), former CFO of Columbia Colstor, Inc; Ken Ryals (Beaux Arts), executive director of the King County Library System Foundation; and Kirk Nelson (Sammamish) president and CEO of AAA Washington.
