Kat Santana
Kat comes to the Foundation following her time with PacMtn Workforce Development Council where she held a Senior Leadership role supporting Youth and Priority Populations through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs and DVR Pre-ETS focused initiatives.
Kat has served the most vulnerable in our 5-county workforce development region. She was born in Centralia and feels a special kinship with this community. As the mother of 5 children of her own, her efforts to bring opportunities in education and career pathways for young people has very special meaning to her. Sharing enthusiasm for her work ahead she says, “The Foundation’s volunteer board is a wonderful group of professionals who are dedicated to creating and expanding opportunities for the people in this community. They have all made exceptional contributions to the community through the work of CCF, and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together in the next 5 years and beyond.”
Centralia Community Foundation (CCF) has become a true catalyst in our community. Our greatest strength is our volunteer board and our leadership. We have successfully brought people, organizations, and institutions together with a shared vision to work in partnership in ways that are efficient and focused on the betterment of our community. As board members, we’re here to serve our community, lead fundraising campaigns, and manage the necessary financial support that will create positive changes for our city. You can read about each Board member by clicking their photos below, and please feel free to email if you want to learn more about the work of the Foundation.
She has 2 grown children and 1 grandson who is a fourth grader in Centralia public schools. She enjoys golfing, playing bridge, reading, skiing, traveling and tending her roses.
Vicki Pogorelc
Vicki grew up in Yakima, WA and graduated from the University of Washington, with a BA in History. She is a founder and co-owner of North Fork Timber Co. established in 1975. In her forty plus years here in Centralia, she has been an active community volunteer and currently is on the Board of the Centralia College Foundation.
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She and Larry have four grown children who have all attended the Centralia Schools. While their children were school age, Judy volunteered often and was a PTO Treasurer and also helped with Senior Class fundraising. Seeing the quality of education decline over time due to funding, she is very interested in the work that the Centralia Community Foundation plans to do to help improve education for the future.
Judy is one of the founding Board Members for Centralia Community Foundation and serves as the Treasurer. She has always played an active role in support of the Centralia community and a few notable examples of her past community involvement were Board Member of Pope’s Kids Place for five years, volunteering for the Adaline Coffman Guild, and Children’s Hospital for twenty years.
Judy Fagerness
Judy is a graduate from Centralia High and has lived in the community all of her life. She has spent her 30 years of professional experience in banking, escrow service and law office management. She and her husband, Larry, opened his Centralia law practice nineteen years ago where she works as Legal Assistant, Bookkeeper, and the Office Manager.
Amy Buzzard
Her passion has always been to help the youth of this community live healthy and fulfilling lives while instilling a love of learning. Amy believes that every child deserves the best education we can provide and a team of people who will cheer it on.
She has lived in Centralia since she was a young girl, graduated Centralia High, attended Bellevue Community College, Centralia College, and completed Leadership classes through the University of Washington and the Washington State School Directors’ Association.
She enjoys spending time with her four children and husband of 21 years playing music and traveling. She loves to give private music lessons and sing for events. Amy is honored to join the Centralia Community Foundation Board and looks forward to what we can accomplish together.
Lisa was raised in Oregon. She earned her Bachelors in Special Education from Gonzaga University. Lisa taught Special Education while earning a Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Washington. She then became a principal in Washington state and Florida. After earning her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of South Florida and moving back to Washington state, she became the superintendent of Mossyrock School District and Centralia School District.
Lisa lives in the Centralia community and is a member of the Twin Cities Rotary. She believes in education and has a passion for serving students.
Lisa is proud to serve as the Centralia superintendent and believes in the importance and potential of the Centralia Community Foundation.
Dr. Lisa Grant
For the past two years, Lisa Grant has served as the superintendent of the Centralia School District. Prior to Centralia, she was the superintendent in Mossyrock School District for five years. Lisa has worked in education for over 30 years as a teacher, principal, district office administrator, and superintendent.
Dolly Tardiff
Dolly is the newest member of the Centralia Community Foundation Board. She was born in Tacoma, WA, raised in Lacey, WA, and has called the Chehalis/Centralia area her home for over 32 years. Dolly contributes to the economy and well-being of our community both personally as the owner of a local Security Company which was started in 1992 and as an employee of the Economic Alliance of Lewis County. In her role as the Business Development Center/Program Manager she supports new businesses in becoming established and helps them thrive.
She believes that Lewis County has been a great place to raise her two children, now grown, ages 24 & 21 years. One of Dolly’s favorite things in life is to spend time with her family & loved ones.
Dolly knows that expanding the potential within our students and young people is one of our missions at the Foundation. Investing in our young people’s futures is key to growing a thriving and economically sound community. She understands that this will happen through providing great education and building out career pathways for our young people to connect successfully to workforce with the knowledge and training they need to become skilled workers and thriving entrepreneurs. Her belief in our young people, community contributions and her connection to local businesses make her an integral part of the Centralia Community Foundation Board.
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Bob Guenther
For the past 11 years Bob Guenther has been the Governmental Affairs Advisor for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 77. He spent his time at the State Capital in Olympia during legislative sessions.
Bob was born and raised in rural Lewis County. After high school he attended Bates Technical School and became a journeyman machinist working in heavy industry manufacturing for nearly 10 years.
He then returned to Lewis County and spent the next 34 years as a mechanic and a mechanical foreman at Centralia Power. Bob also owned and operated a small manufacturing and industrial machinery repair facility in Centralia for 20 years.
As an active member of the community he believes a good education, in any field, will provide an opportunity to earn a good living and build a strong community. Bob feels strongly that healthy communities are the backbone of our nation.
Bob joined the leadership team of the Centralia Community Foundation because he is hopeful that together we can help our youth get the quality education that will create a prosperous future.
Although Mike was born and raised in Chehalis, he feels that Centralia needs the kind of assistance that the Chehalis Foundation has been able to provide for Chehalis. He was eager to lend his time to serve on the Centralia Community Foundation Board because he believes in the vision. He is most excited about helping students grow and learn within the school system. “There is always a need to show kids opportunities and empower them. Through increased learning they’ll have what it takes for eventual long term careers and giving back to communities.”
A very active community volunteer, Mike currently serves on the Board of Lewis Economic Development Council, is the past president and a current advisor of Lewis County Chapter of Washington Farm Forestry Association, is a commissioner for Lewis County Water & Sewer District #4, and is a school board commissioner for St. Joseph School. He also has been active with many leadership programs in Lewis County.
Mike enjoys spending time with his family, and working and playing in the great outdoors.
Mike Alexander
For nearly 20 years, Mike has been with Security State Bank. He has worked in local branches and the Commercial Loan Department prior to transferring to the Trust Department where he has been VP, Trust Officer since 2013. He became a CTFA (certified trust and financial advisor) in 2016. Mike has a B.A. in Business Administration, Business Management from Washington State University and has experience in many areas of Banking Operations, Trust Account Financial Management and Commercial Lending.
Larry McGee
Larry believes that one of the most important drivers of progress are committed volunteers who sincerely put their community first. Two related bedrock foundations of a successful community are educations and jobs. Centralia, with about 20% of Lewis County population, has incredible potential and he wants to help it be realized. Larry’s main focus is education, specifically early education which impacts kindergarten readiness, a significant issue in our community and county.
Larry has a Bachelor Degree of Industrial Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration. He has completed executive education in marketing, human resources and financial management. Larry spent twenty-four years with PPG which included six moves, three plant startups, marketing, product development and executive HR management. He then spent several years as part owner of an operations research consulting firm in Fairfax, VA before joining IBM for eleven years working both in consulting and sales. He led the Chehalis Renaissance team for three years and then joined the staff at Centralia College to lead the design, staffing, recruiting and other aspects to start the first two bachelor’s degrees ever offered at Centralia College.
His community involvement has been extensive and, in the past, has included planning commissions, a symphony board, a hospital board, the local Chamber Board, membership chair for the Timberline District of Boy Scouts, and state Board Chair for Washington Business Week programs. Larry has also been a volunteer SCORE counselor for startups and small businesses.
Larry is a Charter member of Twin Cities Rotary (1987) and is quite active in both that Club and District 5020 operations. He also is a Charter member of the Washington State Boundary Review Board for Lewis County, on the Advisory Board for the Bachelor’s program in Management, and in 2017 chaired the Blue Ribbon Panel which studied and made recommendations (adopted) concerning the leadership structure for Lewis County. He is the Vice Chair of the Discover! Children’s Museum Board.
Larry and Becky have been married forty years and have four children and nine grandchildren located from Chesapeake Bay to Puget Sound. They enjoy extensive travel, gardening and family activities. Larry is an avid photographer.