Two Eastern Graduates Named to Board of Trustees

A pair of Eastern Washington University alumni, Carol Evans and Alexis Alexander, have been appointed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to the university’s governing Board of Trustees.

Evans, the esteemed former chairwoman of the Spokane Tribal Business Council, and Alexander, who recently served as chair of the EWU Foundation Board of Directors, will both serve five-year terms that run through September 2029.

Carol Evans earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degree from EWU in 1991, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Eastern last June in recognition of her outstanding contributions to her tribe and community. Notably, she was the first woman to serve as tribal chair for the Spokane Tribe of Indians, breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations of Indigenous women leaders. Prior to her tenure on the tribal council, Evans dedicated twenty-eight years of service as the chief financial officer for the Spokane Tribe, demonstrating exemplary dedication and expertise in fiscal management.

“We must continue to educate ourselves throughout life, I am honored to be appointed to the EWU Board of Trustees and hope to help make college education a success for all students,” says Evans.

Alexis Alexander received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from Eastern in 2008, and a Master of Business Administration degree from EWU in 2014. He currently serves as director of information technology infrastructure with Spokane’s Avista Corporation. A native of Medical Lake, Alexander was an outstanding two-sport star at Medical Lake High School and was elected to its athletic Hall of Fame. Upon graduation, he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals and played MiLB professional baseball for nearly four years before returning to his home state. While at EWU, he earned two All-Big Sky Conference awards as a running back, and was named as a member of the EWU Football 2000-2009 All-Decade Team.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the university, particularly among such a talented leadership team,” says Alexander. “I do not take the responsibility lightly and will do all I can to carry forward the university’s long-standing legacy of success.”

Evans and Alexander replace Kim Pearman-Gillman and Robert Whaley, whose terms expired earlier this year.

Trustees on the board work with EWU’s president to set the strategic direction of the university while helping to ensure that the university is academically and financially accountable as it strives to help students succeed.