Artisans Board

Steven Gimpel
President
Katie Hulquist
Vice President
Steven currently works at the Washington State Department of Ecology. He previously  worked for Waste Management, at the SMaRT Center, who employs a group of Artisans clients through its Group Supported Employment program. Waste Management works with Artisans on their recycling projects at their new north side facility.

Steven taught special education his last year of high school as an elective, as well as help coach kids with special needs during cross country and track seasons at Mead High School.  He hopes to continue helping in this field as much as possible.
Katie has been in public accounting since 2010 and is a certified public accountant.  She is a member of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Public Accountants.  Katie attended Washington State University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Accounting as well as a Master of Accounting.  She is currently an audit manager at Eide Bailly LLP which is a top 25 CPA firm in the nation.  Katie enjoys spending time with her family, watching football, and looks forward to getting more involved in the community.​
Anjali Barretto
Secretary
Anjali began her career in special education in India in 1992 where she worked in a residential school for children with disabilities after completing her teaching certificate in Special Education. She graduated from the University of Iowa in 2001 with a Ph.D. in Special Education. Anjali has been teaching at Gonzaga University since 2001. She is a Professor of Special Education and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Her areas of interest include behavior disorders and feeding disorders.
Blake Cooley
​Director
For the last 20 years Blake’s diverse working experience has allowed him to support individuals with disabilities across their lifespan.  As a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Blake has taught babies birth to three at Joya Child and Family Development Center. Currently Blake works in Spokane Public Schools as an elementary Special Education teacher, and previously at the high school level.  Blake has also assisted in the transition from school to workforce as an Employment Specialist providing job coaching and creating relationships with local employers. Also, Blake has supported individuals within the group home setting and various enrichment camps for those with various abilities. With his MA from University of Northern Colorado in Special Education specializing in Visual Impairment, Blake works to support the individual with the whole lifespan in view. 
Dean Duncan
Director
Dean has been a long standing Board Member of the Artisans. He retired from the English Dept. at Lewis & Clark High School and continues to work as a Teacher in District 81. Dean’s older brother was a person with disabilities who worked at Swedish Hospital. He had a long history of employment and found great satisfaction in his job. “We try at Artisans to give people with such disabilities, the same opportunity for employment that my brother had. The organization has grown into one of the leaders of providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Spokane.”
Nancy Isserlis
Director
Nancy rejoined Winston & Cashatt in 2016 after serving for four years as the City Attorney for the City of Spokane. Over that period, she gained knowledge of the various aspects of municipal law. Nancy has been in practice in Spokane since 1981 focusing on insolvency, restructuring, commercial law, and receiverships. She has served as a Chapter 11 Trustee and state court receiver in numerous cases in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. She also served as the Regional Directing Attorney for Columbia Legal Services for 5 years. 
Nancy is the recipient of the Smithmoore P. Myers Professionalism Award from the Spokane County Bar Association in 2004, and received the Spokane County Bar Association Volunteeer Lawyer of the Year award in 1995.