March 2022 – New Hires
justin.hope
Evan Barton (’21 MBA) is the MBA admissions manager for graduate and online programs. He previously worked for WSU as the recruitment and outreach specialist for the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing and marketing analytics from the University of Idaho. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor recreation, traveling, and spending time with his partner and their corgi.
Jessica Barkley (’18 Human Dev., Spanish) is an academic coordinator at WSU Vancouver. She previously worked as a course and data coordinator for the University of Colorado Denver’s Business School and as a transfer coordinator for Concordia University in Portland. Barkley earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy from Portland State University. Outside of work, she enjoys going to NBA basketball games, exploring new cities, and spending time with her loved ones.
Rachel Boyer (’19 Accounting, ’21 MBA) is a teaching assistant professor of accounting at WSU Vancouver. She spent 20 years working in accounting for companies and local government. She is a first-generation, non-traditional student with a passion for audit, financial, and cost accounting.
Lydia Guenther (’18 Hosp. Busi. Mgmt.) is an office assistant in the dean’s office. Prior to joining the college, she worked in the event industry at the Best Western in Moscow, Idaho. A first-generation college student, Guenther was born in Syria. During her time as a WSU student, she studied abroad in Spain and Morocco and received a Global Leadership certificate. She has a passion for helping people. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, photography, wedding coordinating, other cultures and history, and writing.
Jay Harris is a director of development based in Seattle. He was an assistant athletic director for the Cougar Athletic Fund in Seattle from 2015 to 2018. More recently, he was a philanthropy director at Swedish Medical Center Foundation, working with caregivers and patients in the Swedish Heart and Vascular Institute. He is originally from Alabama, but moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2015.
Jacqui LaCroix (’21 Poli. Sci.) is the retention manager for the online and executive MBA programs. She previously worked as a general manager in WSU Dining Services. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with family.
Nicola Lippetti is an academic coordinator at WSU Vancouver. She grew up in Las Vegas, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. A first-generation college graduate, Lippetti describes herself as a life-long learner who is passionate about higher education. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her children.
Goretti Manzo (’05 Crim. Jus.) is the office manager for the Carson Center for Student Success. She says, “I am so excited to be back in the university that I love and to be able to give back to a community that gave so much to me while I was a student here.” Manzo enjoys spending time with her family, pets, and plants as well as traveling and being outdoors.
Tiffany Reiss is the assistant director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. She previously worked in the Innovation and Research Engagement Office in the WSU Office of Research, and she leads the I-Corps teaching team. Reiss has a doctorate from Virginia Tech in curriculum design and instruction and a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Appalachian State. She previously founded multiple companies in education technology.
Whitney Thurgood is the new program coordinator for graduate and online programs. She previously worked for the college as the administrative assistant for the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship.
Tabetha Villanueva (’21 Soc. Sci.) is a fiscal specialist II for the college. She previously worked as a fiscal technician for WSU’s Payroll Services. She has a bachelor’s degree in social science. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, and hosting dinner parties.
Minie Yadama is the administrative assistant in the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. She has an MBA from the University of Mississippi. She enjoys assisting faculty “who give their best for our students—the future of our country.” In her free time, she enjoys the sunsets on the Palouse and walks and hikes with friends and family.
