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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WSMA Board of Directors

Janice Fejarang

President of WSMA Board of Directors

Ms Fejarang is a retired Vice President of Commercial Banking, a career of 19 years in Seattle.  Her experience was focused on Mid Market Clients, with vast experience of Industrial, Manufacturing, Distributor, Retail, and Professional organizations.  In her early career in banking she had 2 years focused in Micro Enterprise and assisting those clients in their banking and organizational needs.

Prior to her banking career Ms Fejarang spent 25 years in the Vending Industry working with original OEMS, Fortune 2500 and up as a Sales Executive.  She assisted that industry in several segments, including Beverage, Gaming, OEM and Vending. Her various roles included National Sales Director, Regional Sales Manager, Area Manager and Executive Vice President of Sales. She chose to retire early from that industry due to the extremely demanding travel requirements.  She moved back to her home in the Northwest and pursued her banking career.

She has a vast amount of experience in working with the community and many non profit organizations.  Her specialties include organizational development, communication, marketing, sales development and management.

She has been a board member of WSMA since 2002.  She has served as an officer of the board for the last 10 years.  She has a BA in Business Administration Management, AA in Liberal Arts, and an AAS in Communications and Office Management respectively.  She has several certificates of sales management and marketing development, financial statement review and study, underwriting and other technical focuses.

Widowed, she has 2 grown children and a grandchild. She enjoys gardening, cooking, ballet, art and theater.

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.

Jim Keogh

Former Staff, Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner

Jim Keogh had a 20 year career in the Economic Development Division of the state’s Department of Community Trade and Economic Development. He is currently the economic analyst in the policy division of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

Keogh’s experience includes eight years as a managing director in the Grants and Loans Services Unit and 12 years serving either as the Business Retention and Expansion specialist for the state or as manager of the Employer Ownership Program.

Jim was one of the first in his department to gain certification as a Certified Economic Development Professional (IEDC). He also holds a National Development Council certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional.

Prior to his work with the state, Keogh spent seven years as a manager at Group Health Cooperative and five years in neighborhood development.