Board Members
Melissa Pemberton
Social media
Melissa Pemberton is a trauma aware parent coach, podcaster and owner of Mending Families, LLC, a local home-based Cheney business. She has close to 20 years of experience working with families in the child welfare system from case management, to writing home studies, to running a foster care non-profit and is trained in a variety of trauma-aware curriculums. Melissa and her family have lived in Cheney since 2014 and she cannot imagine living anywhere else!
Douglas Labar
Advisor
As a Cheney High School Graduate and Local Business owner and Property owner in Cheney, Douglas has been involved in many facets of the Cheney community; from opening and running The Mason Jar and The Jar, to teaching cooking classes through parks and recreation, to investing in downtown properties and helping fill them with independent local businesses. He was one of the founders of Cheney Mayfest, Holiday Hoopla and served as the Chair of the CMA for 7 years. His passion for the community along with his efforts in growing and supporting our downtown and local businesses has been the driving force in his commitment to volunteer and get involved in his hometown.
Samantha Rich
Danielle labar
Advisor
Danielle began school at EWU and finished at Baruch, a business and marketing school in New York City. She has been a realtor since 2005, and over the years her career has developed into her position as a managing broker and owner that specializes in Easter Washington. Danielle is highly motivated and has worked very hard to get to where she is at now professionally and is excited to be helping people with their real esate dreams. Danielle is newly on the Cheney City Council and has been a member of the community most of her life. She has three kids, and loves o spend time in the outdoors doing activities year round.
chair
Samantha brings her entrepreneurial spirit to life in downtown Cheney as a co-owner of The Wellness Vault, a hub for holistic wellness resources focusing on fitness and massage. Her passion for community extends beyond the studio as she enjoys connecting and collaborating with other local businesses and organizations. Samantha’s expertise translates into her private practice, Resilient Rise, where she provides specialized mental health therapy services to individuals across four states. As part of a family stationed at Fairchild AFB, she cherishes the warm welcome and friendships she's built living in Cheney. Samantha aspires to make a positive impact wherever her family calls home.
Cassie Day
Treasurer
Cassie has extensive background in administration and is a very detail-oriented person. She worked in customer servicce for close to ten years and then became the transaction manager at Touchstone Real Estate. She decided to on to being a realtor in 2020 and she grew her bussinesss rapidly. Cassie is on the Cheney Historical Commission and has been on the board since 2019. Cassie has three kids, has lived in Cheney her entire life and is a yoga instructor at The Wellness Vault.
Miranda York
Community engagement coordinator
As a longtime member of the Cheney community, Miranda is passionate about helping Cheney reach its full potential. Miranda owns and runs Diamond Beauty & Boutique in Cheney and cares deeply about helping support local businesses and creating a thriving economy in our city. She is very active in the community and hopes that in this role, she can help continue to bring people together to support our common goal of seeing our city thrive for both business owners and community members.