Bridging past and future
Bill Simer, a shareholder in the Spokane-based public accounting firm of McDirmid, Mikkelsen & Secrest, can feel fairly tired after a long day at work, especially during tax season. But most evenings he catches a second wind and volunteers. He’s chaired the boards of Spokane Public Radio, the Spokane Symphony and the Fox theater. He chairs the board of the Spokane Symphony Endowment and is a member of the boards of the Eastern Washington University Foundation, Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Fox theater, the Fairmont Memorial Association and the Spokane Public Library Foundation.
Simer and his wife, Spokane Public Schools teacher Renee Rolando, will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary in August. The 52-year-old Spokane native says his commitment to community is rooted in gratitude – for his upbringing in Spokane and the supportive adults in his childhood. In a recent interview with editorial board member Rebecca Nappi, Simer reflected on Spokane past, present and future.
Q: Talk about your childhood.
A: I grew up just off of Nevada and Garland. I went to Longfellow Elementary School and Garry Junior High. I went to Rogers High School. My mother and father met in England during World War II. I have one sister. We lived in a blue-collar neighborhood. My dad was a small businessman; he owned Ace Auto Repair. He was killed in an accident at work when I was 11, and that was a real tragedy. Thankfully, my mom had a skill. She was a seamstress. She found herself with a good position at The Bon Marche. It became a home away from home for me.
Q: How did your early experience affect you?
A: I learned that work is a normal thing. I saw my dad at work and when my mother was put in the position to do the same thing, she just picked herself up and got it done.
Q: When you were growing up in Spokane, did you know any famous people?
A: No. There was “Starlit Stairway.” You’d see your friends on that and think they were famous.
Q: What do you remember feeling about Spokane?
A: In my neighborhood, people either worked at Kaiser or they worked for Washington Water Power or they were schoolteachers or small business people. They were in good solid occupations for solid companies. Many of my friends’ families owned lake homes. With a modest income you could live very well in this community. I felt like I was part of Spokane. You felt safe just about everywhere you went. You could play outside all day long. I never had a burning desire to leave.
Q: Didn’t Rogers always have a bit of an underdog syndrome?
A: As a student, I wasn’t really aware. My teachers cared about us and wanted us to achieve. If I have a calling today it is to go back and help Rogers. I don’t know if there’s any role of leadership where I could be an example. I don’t know if any high school student looks at a 52-year-old guy and thinks anything except: “There’s an old guy.”
Q: Expo ‘74. How do you remember it?
A: I was a photographer on the yearbook staff. I spent almost every day down there. I have a recollection that the community was at first afraid of (Expo). They turned down the bond issue. Why is that in Spokane? Why do we have that reservation toward change? Part of it is the poverty that exists. If you don’t feel that you will benefit from these initiatives, why support them? But they do benefit the whole community. The people behind (Expo) probably weren’t popular for a while. Aren’t we glad they withstood that pressure and got it done?
Q: Spokane’s come a long way since our childhood. Famous people even live here now.
A: I did see dramatic changes in my practice when companies like World Wide Packets had great success here, and Telect and Itron. They created a level of affluence that was missing in this community
Q: When did you start noticing it?
A: About 10 years ago. It wasn’t too many years ago you’d open the business section and a big story would be a new restaurant opening, not a company doing a public offering.
Q: When we were growing up here, the people with great wealth didn’t flaunt it.
A: Correct. People were very careful about their display of wealth. They weren’t ostentatious.
Q: Do you think that’s changed?
A: A little bit. Think 20 years ago. How many people would be driving Hummers around Spokane? You see people with very nice second and third homes
Q: How about the poverty in Spokane. How has that changed?
A: There were poor people in my neighborhood, and I never thought of us as poor, but when my father passed away, we were poor. I remember the Christmas we borrowed a Christmas tree from our neighbor. But there was an expectation that if you worked, you’d get through it. I don’t know if everyone now has that belief that by their own hard work they can make their life better.
Q: What should Spokane dream next?
A: Spokane needs to think of itself as a region and not as an accumulation of smaller cities. They need to pull together, because when they pull together great things happen.
Q: Give me an example.
A: The Centennial Trail. The community came together to create that resource.
Q: What do we need in infrastructure?
A: Light rail makes sense, from Coeur d’Alene all the way to the West Plains and maybe to Cheney. Could the economy today support it? Probably not. But if we don’t begin reserving the right of way it will never happen. That’s the long-term vision this community needs. Worry less about today and more about 20 years from now. The quality of life brings people here. As we consider initiatives that are pro-business or pro-development, we have to remember that if we lose the quality of life here, we’ll be no different than smaller size communities throughout this country.
Q: What will we lose?
A: Open spaces. People might say, “Well yeah, Bill, you live in a development in the foothills in the Valley and you want it to stop there.” Maybe that’s true. But as I drive north from where I live, there are still rolling hills. Or go south to the Palouse. And the river. You remember how bad it was at one time. Am I concerned about development encroaching on that? I am. We’re right to maintain open access to that river and vigorously defend that.
Q: Will we ever get over our inferiority complex? We’re not Seattle. We’re not Portland. We’re not Boise.
A: We’re better than Boise. That’s my motto. I don’t care if we’re ever better than Seattle. I’m a little worried we’re not as good as Portland. They have dog parks all over the place. They have good public transportation. But I don’t believe we have any reason to feel inferior. I’ve never felt that. If I worry about one thing, it’s that people who could make a difference here spend their winters away and maybe winter goes from October through May.
Q: What do we lose when we lose them?
A: We lose their support of culture. We lose their involvement in political discourse and involvement that might move the community forward.
Q: Snowbirds. It wasn’t something that happened when we were younger.
A: In my neighborhood, it was out of the question. It would be nice in February to go somewhere warmer, but does it make this community a little less like home when you do that? Do you split your allegiances?
Q: What is your challenge to newcomers?
A: Get involved in this community. Make it your home. I see it happening.