Meet Our Staff & Board

WSMA Staff

Lisa Smith

Executive Director

Lisa Smith is the Executive Director of the Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA) that provides technical assistance, grants and resource coordination support for microenterprise focused nonprofits.  She has been working to strengthen the smallest businesses in Washington for over 25 years through her collaboration with business, academic, policy, environmental, tribal and nonprofit partners. This experience has helped WSMA build the capacity of nonprofit partners who are assisting thousands of entrepreneurs every year to launch, grow and finance their small businesses. Her work and advocacy have helped hundreds of microenterprises launch and grow and many dozens scale up and blossom to become leaders in their communities and make significant contributions to their local business economies.

She has a special interest in the potential for microenterprise to boost Washington’s economy, especially through green enterprise, rural and tribal communities, and other marginalized populations.

Smith’s research and writing has appeared in Consumer Reports, Scholastic Magazine, and the American Journal of Public Health.

Lisa is inspired by the power of microenterprise development to build regenerative communities and economies. She is driven to engage partners to meaningfully serve BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), rural, LGBTQ+ and veteran owned businesses, returning citizens, entrepreneurs with disabilities and other historically marginalized communities as catalysts for positive change throughout Washington.

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Nelson R Goehle

Operations Manager

Bio coming soon!

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Catherine Borgeson

Grant Specialist

Bio coming soon!

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Vanessa Marenco

Administrative Specialist

Vanessa Marenco provides essential support as WSMA’s Administrative Specialist. In 2016, she moved from Ann Arbor, Michigan to attend The Evergreen State College. She focused her Liberal Arts degree toward Critical Indigenous Studies and Creative Writing, eventually becoming a graduate of the Native Pathways Program. Before attending school, she dedicated her non-academic learning to service industry work, cross-country travel, and a service term with AmeriCorps. She has gained a wealth of experience in varied and diverse environments. Since attending school, she has continuously progressed through her administrative roles within higher education.

Vanessa is committed to advocacy and creating safe environments that nurture courage, compassion, and connection within her communities. In addition to administration, she is passionate about writing and hopes to hone her skills in both with the goal to open her own nonprofit. In the meantime, she remains steadfast in her efforts to learn, support, and grow within the vast ecosystem of microenterprise development, as well as helping to ensure WSMA advances in its mission toward economic justice and equal access for every micro-entrepreneur.

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WSMA Board of Directors

David Gilbreath

Treasurer, Yakima Asset Building Coalition

David Gilbreath has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA and a Master of Business/Healthcare Administration degree from Baylor University, Waco Texas.  He has extensive experience in local, state and national committees and boards of directors, including the Yakima County Homeless Network.  He has experience teaching a wide range of undergraduate and graduate level college classes in business and health administration.

David is an experienced Chief Financial Officer and is a three-time hospital president/CEO.  Before moving home to Yakima in June 2006, he served four years as the President and CEO of Central Peninsula Hospital in Kenai, Alaska. He was a co-founder of the Yakima Asset Building Coalition and chaired the coalition for over four years; he continues to serve as an active member.    He was the President and CEO of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Yakima Valley from June 2007 until April, 2011. David currently manages a private consulting business focusing on board development, strategic planning and staff development training.

David is currently the Board Treasurer for the WSMA.