President

Matt Jorgens

Matt Jorgens is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Lewiston.  He is married and has three young children.  Matt is a native to the Northwest and grew up in Spokane Valley.  He moved to Lewiston four years ago.  He currently serves as Board President and he has been involved with Family Promise for several years as he also worked with Family Promise while living and pastoring in Hawaii.

 

Vice President

Heather Ohrtman-Rogers

Heather Ohrtman-Rogers is a Lewiston native that currently teaches Spanish and English at Jenifer Junior High.  She currently serves as board Vice-President.  She resides in Asotin, WA with her husband Rodney and their children Niesha, Drake and Patrick.  Heather is actively involved in several aspects of the community (rodeo concessions, Meals On Wheels, Lend-A-Crib etc.) in addition to coordinating service learning projects with her students. 

Toni Kraut

Toni Kraut was on the core committee for starting Family Promise of Lewis Clark Valley. She is currently the fundraising and publicity chair. She is married to Loren and they have two grown children. She has been employed in the medical field for 38 years and is currently an office manager for a local physician. She is an active member of All Saints Catholic Church at St. James serving on the Social Action Committee and the parish bazaar committee.. She is a past member of the Dogwood Festival Committee and a former Interlink volunteer. She also serves on the LCSC Advisery Board for the Medical Assistant/Office program and is a NAIA volunteer for the college baseball world series She has a passion for fundraising which began when her children attended All Saints Catholic School (formerly St. Stanislaus Tri Parish School). It was there that she was the first fundraising chair and started their annual Christmas tree sale which began with 100 trees in the parking lot of St.Stanislaus church. She enjoys helping those in need and is a strong advocate for social justice.

Liz Chavez

Liz was born in Wendell, Idaho in 1946.  She moved to Lewiston with her family in 1960, graduating from LHS in 1965 and from LCSC with a degree in elementary education in 1970.  She taught at Lincoln Middle School in Clarkston for 30 years, retiring in 2000.  After serving as the chair of the Nez Perce County Democrats and coordinating Mike Mitchell's campaign for the legislature, she ran in 2006 and served in the House for four years.  She has been married to Jerry Chavez for 44 years and had two children, our daughter Felicia who teaches special education in Santa Fe, and our son John who died in 1993.  She serves on a number of other boards including the LC Foundation, Valley Transit, and the League of Women Voters as well as at her church.  

Secretary

Tammy Baldus

Tammy was born and raised in Cottonwood, Idaho.  She married Roy Baldus in October 1976 and will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in October, 2011.  Her family includes their daughter, Angela Baldus of Lewiston, their son and daughter-in-law, Brendon & Erica Baldus of Grangeville, and their grandson, Tevyn Roy Baldus of Grangeville.  She began working for Idaho First National Bank in Nezperce, Idaho, later to become US Bank, in 1976 and worked for 22 years in Nezpercen where she worked through various levels of banking and was eventually promoted to Assistant Branch Manager.  In 1998, she accepted a position as a Lending Officer for FirstBank Northwest in Grangeville, Idaho and was named AVP and Branch Manager in 2000.  In December 2006 she accepted a position at Bank of Whitman as an AVP & Lending Officer at their Clarkston location.  She is currently the Branch Manager for US Bank’s Orchards Office where she supervises ten employees and is responsible for the development & growth of the Branch to include Small Business and Consumer Lending. 
Previous organization involvement includes the Clarkston Chamber of Commerce Spring Break Committee, Grangeville Golf & Country Club Ladies Association and Treasurer, President of the Women of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Nezperce; the Nezperce Chamber of Commerce, and the Nezperce Service League.  She is currently a member of the Lewiston Golf & Country Club and their Ladies Association where she chairs the Women’s Twilight League.  She is a Board member for Family Promise of the Lewis-Clark Valley and currently serves as their Secretary.

Jim Downey

Jim is a retired Colorado attorney, practiced 35 years primarily in family law.  He now serves on the Board of Directors for Family Promise, volunteers weekly at the Habitat for Humanity Store, and is the elected Chairperson of Nez Perce County Democrats.  He previously served in the U.S. Army (Bronze Star), Colorado Attorney General's Staff, President of AARP Chapter in Fort Collins, CO, for 4 years, taught classes at 4 colleges (University of Denver, Colorado State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and Boise State University).  He was previously on Board of Directors for Attention Homes, Boulder, CO, for homeless adolescents; board of directors for temporary shelter for disabled adults.  He is the author of a book for Colorado attorneys on child abuse and court cases.  His wife, Eleanor, is a Professor at Lewis-Clark State College.  Jim and Eleanor have three adult daughters and three grandchildren and one more due in May.  His hobby is tennis.

 

Jim Spangler

Born in Detroit MI, grew up on the Palouse at Potlatch ID   Attended Business School in Boise ID.  Retired from Washington State University Extension as Publications Manager after 36 years of service in 2004! Served in the Army National Guard and is married to his wife Pauline for 45 years. They lived in Moscow for 41 years and moved to Lewiston in 2006 so they could better care for Pauline’s aging mother.  He and his wife grow a huge garden providing over 8000 lbs. of fresh produce each year to the Community Action Food Bank and other food banks in the area.  He volunteers two days a week with his wife Pauline for Community Action picking up day old food and produce from local stores. He also works special food drives and fund raising for Community Action.   He cooks for the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen, as well as serves on the Salvation Army Advisory Board and Capital Campaign Cabinet.  You will also find him ringing bells for the Army during the Christmas season as well as, other services for the Army.  He serves on the Development Council for the Benedictine Sisters of the Monastery of St. Gertrude at Cottonwood as well as, serves as the Financial Secretary for the Lewiston Knights of Columbus Council 1024.  He volunteers for many of the Knights of Columbus charity functions.  He and his wife belong to All Saints Parish and volunteers for many activities there. They have done considerable world travel and have a real appreciation for the poor in the valley as well as those in our country and the world. 

 

Executive Director

Steve Thomas

  Steve is a 26 year youth ministry veteran. He has been serving here in Lewiston for the last 17 years.  Prior to being in Lewiston Steve served at the Church of the Nazarene in St. Maries and in Moscow, Idaho.  He was born and raised in Moscow and worked in clothing retail before becoming a youth professional.  He has been an active part of Family Promise since its beginnings in Lewiston.  He has been active in the community coaching soccer and helping teach abstinence programs in the elementary school and junior and senior high.  Steve’s youth program partnered with Nez Perce County Court Services to build twin beds and made them available to children complete with mattresses and homemade quilts.  Steve is married and has four children. His wife, Jeana, teaches first and second grade at Whitman Elementary in Lewiston. 

Volunteer Bookkeeper

Jana Peer

Jana is a nearly life-long valley resident.  She is married with two, now adult, daughters and have four grandkids.  She worked in the advertising department at the Tribune for several years.  Then, after some time at home, she worked in the office of a local hardware store for 17 years as a secretary, in pricing and inventory, and as a bookkeeper.  Jana was involved in starting Family Promise in the valley, and served two terms on the Board of Trustees.  She enjoys using the graphics and administrative skills she learned while working, in the volunteering that she now does.