Sanders named city economic development director

Spokane has a new leader for economic development.

Mayor Dennis Hession has selected Theresa Sanders, who was second in command at the Spokane Area Economic Development Council until last year, as the new economic development director. She was offered the job on Wednesday, pending approval by City Council.

Sanders, 47, will make $103,252 a year. She replaces John Pilcher, who was promoted to chief operating officer earlier this year, and Teresa Brum, who held the job on an interim basis.

Since leaving the EDC in September, Sanders has done consulting, including work for the Spokane Regional Transportation Council on a project aimed at improving commerce by making freight transportation more efficient.

Sanders is a 1978 North Central High School graduate, but does not hold a college degree. She worked at Microsoft for a dozen years in marketing and sales. She left in 1998 as the senior product manager and moved to Pend Oreille County where she did volunteer and consulting work.

She went back to full-time work in 2002 when she was hired as the Pend Oreille County economic development director for the Tri-County Economic Development District, which includes Stevens and Ferry counties. She was hired at the EDC in 2004 as the executive vice president of business development. Among her duties was developing marketing strategies to encourage businesses to move to Spokane.

Pilcher said four candidates were interviewed for the job. Brum initially applied, but withdrew her name and became part of the hiring committee, which included Sanders’ former boss at the EDC, Jon Eliassen.

Eliassen said Thursday that Sanders is a “great asset” and a strong leader.

At the start of her last two jobs Sanders said she agreed to work about two years and leave when projects were complete. She said she has no timeline for her new job except to spend “as much time as it takes in order to get us to that best-in-class category.”

Sanders studied public administration at Eastern Washington University and business accounting and other topics at the University of Washington.

Sanders’ hire still leaves several administrative openings at City Hall, including public works director, planning director and community development director.