PALOUSE HABITAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Palouse Habitat for Humanity has a community-based volunteer board of directors. The current Palouse Habitat Board of Directors includes community members from business, faith, and service organizations.
The board meets once a month. Standing committees are Construction, Development, Faith Relations, Homeowner Selection, Homeowner Support and Site Selection.
Palouse Habitat for Humanity is an independent organization overseen by a board of directors and governed by its own policies. If you have a complaint, please contact us to discuss the issue or concern.
If you believe your concern cannot be adequately addressed or resolved by the affiliate, or if your concern relates to Palouse Habitat for Humanity leadership (board president or executive director), notify Habitat for Humanity International by following the process outlined on Habitat.org.
2024 Board Members
Rebecca Nida, President
Rebecca Nida is an Idaho-native who recently returned to Idaho after living in Portland, Oregon for several years. She lives in Moscow with her daughter and enjoys being part of our vibrant Palouse communities.
She has worked for Cambia Health Solutions since 2008, holding a variety of human resources and leadership roles. She now serves as Cambia’s Director of Ethics where she directs and manages the development, implementation, and administration of a corporate business ethics program. She is excited to bring her blend of leadership, human resources and business ethics expertise to the Palouse Habitat Board and support its mission of building strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.
Rebecca enjoys exploring the beautiful areas our region has to offer and can frequently be found skiing, hiking, paddleboarding and spending time with family and friends.
Nancy Tribble, Vice President
Nancy was raised in a small logging mill town on the Southern Oregon Coast. Her dad owned a logging company and her mom was very involved in their community.
Over the years Nancy has owned and operated several businesses while keeping involved in the different communities she has lived in. Some of the civic & volunteer organizations she has been associated with: Rotary International, Lions Club, Junior Achievement, Special Olympics, City of Moscow Parks and Recreation Commission, HOPE Center, and several others over the years. She is married to Owen Tribble who retired from the USCG. They moved to Moscow in 2008 and she has been selling real estate for RE/MAX Connections since 2009.
Nancy has worked on several Habitat builds and has served on the Board of Directors since May of 2019.
Alan Espenschade, the Director of Operations & HR at Moscow and Pullman Building Supply brings an impressive tenure of 18 years with the company. An Idaho native, Alan has been residing in Moscow since 2000 and holds dual degrees in Music Business and Music Performance from the University of Idaho. Recently, he took on the significant task of constructing his new home in Moscow, showcasing his hands-on expertise by completing a substantial portion of the work himself. This practical experience in home-building will be invaluable for involvement in future Habitat projects, something that Alan is greatly looking forward to. Having joined the Board in 2023, Alan is keen on channeling his in-depth knowledge from the Lumber & Building Materials industry to aid in the indispensable community efforts of Habitat. His years of professional experience, combined with a personal passion for seeing others succeed and grow within our community, promises a meaningful impact on our community’s future development.
Matt Bayly, Treasurer
Matt grew up in Moscow and Pullman. After graduating with a master’s in accounting from the University of Idaho, Matt worked for public accounting firms in Moscow, Portland, and Corvallis. He moved back to the Palouse area in 2021 to work with Presnell Gage Accounting and Consulting.
While not locked away in his office, Matt enjoys travel, hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fly fishing. He is excited to bring his nonprofit accounting expertise, work ethic, and passion for volunteerism to the Palouse Habitat for Humanity Board and support its mission of building strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.
Alanna Ellis
Evan Ellis
Evan Ellis arrived at the Palouse in 1997 to attend Washington State University. He graduated from WSU with a bachelor’s in communications in 1999 and began working at local radio stations. Ellis has been the News Director at KQQQ Pullman Radio Newstalk For The Palouse for 24 years. He spent several years working for the University of Idaho Vandal Radio Network. Ellis worked seven seasons as the play-by-play radio voice for Vandal Men’s Basketball and 3 seasons calling UI Women’s Basketball. He worked as the color commentator on the radio for Vandal Football for eleven seasons.
Evan and Alanna Ellis have been married since 2006. They live in the Pullman area with their teenage son Ethan. Ellis was born in Clearwater Florida and spent most of his youth growing up in Vancouver Washington.
Kris Finch
Kris Finch is excited to join the Palouse Habitat for Humanity Board to help improve housing options for her community. Finch is a long-time resident of the Palouse who has taken a strong interest in improving the community for those in need of housing and assistance. For almost two decades, she has built a successful career as a full-time Realtor with RE/MAX Home and Land, serving both Washington & Idaho. She is a long-time resident of the Palouse and a WSU Murrow School of Communication graduate. Currently, she serves as president of the Whitman County Association of Realtors and sits on a housing committee with the City of Pullman. Recently she served two consecutive terms with the United Way of Whitman County. She is enthusiastic about joining the Board and helping buyers who are “priced out of the market” find options that are presently not available. Married for 30 years to Rick Finch, they have four third generation Coug kids and three grandchildren. The entire family helps with the family beef cattle business. Kris & Rick raise an occasional litter of Brittany Spaniels and open their home as an American Brittany rescue site. She is an avid fly fisherman, photographer, gardener and loves to travel.
Brad Flodin
Brad Flodin works at Washington Trust bank as a Commercial Team Leader and has been a commercial banker for 25+ years in this region. Brad is an active Alumni for the University of Idaho College of Business. As a local resident, living in the area for most of his life, Brad has been involved in several civic and non-profits, including, The Moscow Chamber of Commerce as a member and past President, a member of the Genesee School Board and past Chairman of the Board. Brad Joined the Habitat for Humanity Board in 2023.
Brad has a strong passion for preserving the high quality of life the Palouse provides. Brad enjoys spending time with his wife on their small farm near Genesee. Brad and his wife enjoy spending time with their families, their two children’s families and their grandkids.
Aimee Martinez
Aimee is a Moscow local and has called the community home since birth. In 2023, she became the owner of her own Habitat home. She is now the first owner of a Palouse HfH home to be joining our board! Aimee brings her love for the organization and is excited to help more families with housing. She believes in the power of the home and what it can do for families and communities alike. In her free time, Aimee likes to camp, ride bikes on the Palouse trails, float the St. Joe River, and go geocaching with her two sons and their dog.
Derek McGuckin
The Reverend Derek McGuckin, Pastor at Moscow First United Methodist Church, loves to work with others in living out the Kingdom of God. He is passionate about relationships with God, his family, the church, and the community.
Before coming to Moscow First UMC, Pastor Derek served as pastor to several United Methodist churches in Washington beginning in 2000. The son of missionaries, Pastor Derek, grew up in Costa Rica and Argentina before returning to the United States. He is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, and has a master's degree in divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary.
James Onstad
James Onstad has been an attorney with the Pullman law firm, Irwin, Myklebust, Savage & Brown, P.S., since 2012. In addition to his Juris Doctorate, he holds a Masters in Tax Law from Georgetown Law Center. James has significant professional experience in the taxation and governance of nonprofits, trusts, estates, gifts, and business entities.
As a fourth generation Pullman resident, James has a strong appreciation for the region’s rich values, and he understands the importance of community involvement. James is an active member and past president of the Pullman Lions Club, as well as a current Director of the Pullman Education Foundation and past Director of the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation.
James and his wife Blair enjoy volunteering, visiting with family, and traveling.
Karen Richel
Karen Richel is a University of Idaho Extension Associate Professor in Latah County and is the Family Finance Extension educator for all ten North Idaho counties. Karen reaches residents with research-based information to help families build strong financial foundations and balanced lives. She caters to every age and socioeconomic group with one-on-one counseling/coaching sessions, classes, workshops, and simulations on topics ranging from goal setting and tracking expenses to retirement and end-of-life planning. Karen can reframe challenging past money memories (financial coaching), guide the way to managing resilient finances (financial education and counseling), and then help design a sustainable path to wealth planning (retirement and estate planning). Her educational background and certifications as an Accredited Financial Counselor® and a Certified Money Coach® allow her to provide all these services to every resident.
Barb Sheffler
Barb is a mother of 15 children and Grammy to 15 grandchildren. She joined the Board in October 2021. She lives in Latah County and has worked for 32 years in Whitman County in Child Welfare. She has firsthand seen the blessing of a Habitat home in a family’s life and the number of children they were able to serve due to having the home. She is excited to be a part of the board and learn all the aspects of Habitat for Humanity. Her dream one day would be to go to an International site and assist with a home. Her interest is in working with families that Habitat serves and supporting the board and all committees in any way possible.
Craig Watt
Craig has lived in GA, MN, NC, NY, TX, VA, and Idaho, moving due to family relocations, employment opportunities, and university education. He has swung many a hammer, remodeling three homes, the oldest built in 1904.
Formerly a felony prosecutor for Asotin County and litigation attorney at IMSB Law in Pullman, Craig is employed by Northwest Justice Project as the eviction prevention attorney for Asotin, Garfield, and Whitman Counties. He is also a member of the Pullman Police Advisory Committee and a volunteer mediator for Latah District Court. He has lived in Moscow since 2006, where he met and got hitched to his best friend Jill, who works at the University of Idaho. Their favorite family activity is rafting in the Whitewater State, rowing the rapids, and camping with friends along the beaches of Idaho’s tremendous wilderness rivers.