Urbanova, a smart city living lab in Spokane, Washington’s University District, announced additions to its board of directors to guide Urbanova’s vision to design cities for the future.

The board of directors will guide the advancement of Urbanova’s collaborations with businesses, researchers and innovators to harness data to gain insights, empower people and solve urban challenges — enabling healthier citizens, safer neighborhoods, smarter infrastructure, a more sustainable environment and a stronger economy.
The board is comprised of a diverse group of experts and leaders in business, utilities, technology and innovation, with a passion for establishing Urbanova as a community of learning for healthy cities. The board of directors includes:

• Steve Helmbrecht, board chair – Helmbrecht is chief executive officer of Lakeside Capital Group, a privately held investment company in Spokane. Helmbrecht brings more than 30 years of diverse business and community volunteer experience, all leading to building a strong, compassionate community where entrepreneurs will thrive.
• Roger Woodworth, vice chair – Woodworth is principal consultant at Mindset Matters where he brings his considerable expertise to help organizations navigate their most complex challenges and find their most effective strategies. Woodworth is an accomplished systems thinker and has extensive expertise in the utility industry.
• Heather Rosentrater, treasurer – Rosentrater, a registered Professional Engineer, is vice president of energy delivery at Avista, where she is responsible for electric and natural gas engineering, operations and shared services such as fleet, facilities and supply chain. Rosentrater is also Avista’s champion for innovation.
• Gordon Feller, director – A passionate advocate for the benefits of smart and connected cities, Feller has advised on economic and technology issues with leaders of multinational companies, cities, NGOs, foundations and national governments. Feller is the co-founder of Meeting of the Minds, a global thought leadership network and knowledge-sharing platform focused on the future of sustainable cities, innovation and technology. After retiring from his position as director of urban innovation at Cisco Systems, he served as a consultant to Cisco.
• Sharelynn Moore, director – Moore is senior vice president of networked solutions at Itron where she is responsible for Itron’s networking platforms and smart cities strategy, globally. Moore is also a tireless advocate, preparing students to address the health and resource challenges all communities will face in a more urbanized future.
• Kim Zentz, director – Zentz is one of the architects of the Urbanova collaboration and is co-director of Washington State University’s (WSU) smart cities initiative. She is also the director of the Engineering and Technology Management graduate program at WSU. A registered professional civil engineer, Zentz’s career spans all types of utility services, transportation, economic development and high-tech startup companies.
• Peter Moye, counsel/secretary– Moye is a partner at Witherspoon Brajcich McPhee, a Spokane-based law firm, which emphasizes a talented, nimble and connected team that provides exceptional accessibility for clients. Moye’s practice is more than a professional pursuit as his guiding hand can be found behind many of Spokane’s most recognized arts, culture, social, charitable and educational institutions as well as a long list of scrappy tech-based start-ups.

“Urbanova is rapidly gaining momentum and will greatly benefit from the commitment, energy, vision and expertise of our new directors. The board will be the compass for Urbanova, leading invested partners in the quest to develop solutions to challenges faced by communities that are both scalable and replicable, while improving the economy, environment and well-being of our community,” Zentz said.

Click here for a PDF of the press release.