Society of Distinguished Alumni

Shelley Broader was a semester shy of receiving her degree from WSU Pullman in 1986 when life took her in a different direction.

Twenty years later she completed her degree at WSU Global Campus. Shelley has had a prolific career in business focused in the retail sector , serving as CEO, executive officer or board member for iconic brands including Walmart INC , Michael’s Arts and Crafts and Chico’s Stores .

She was named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women International list in 2015 and was a Presidential appointee and business advisor for the Obama administration. She is currently a corporate board director for Dutch Bros. Coffee, Inspire Medical Systems and IFCO INC.  

A proud mother of two, she and her husband Brian divide their time between Naples, Florida, and Harpswell Maine.

Nancy Krook was one of the first three graduates of WSU Global Campus, in 1994, when she completed the WSU degree she had begun previously in Pullman in the 1960s.

Nancy had a 23-year career as a lead administrative secretary for the Burlington-Edison School District and was recipient of Western Washington University’s “Outstanding Distinguished Education Award.”  In 2011 she and her husband Frank established an endowed scholarship to benefit WSU Global Campus students and have been recently recognized as WSU Foundation benefactors.

Nancy and Frank currently live in the Skagit Valley area of Washington. Nancy is the mother of two daughters, one of whom is also a WSU alumna.

Lisa King graduated from WSU Global Campus in 2008, almost 30 years after leaving WSU Pullman during her junior year for other pursuits. Lisa and her husband, Jim, founded Hudson Bay Insulation in 1990; together they grew the company to a staff of over 200 when Lisa retired in 2015.

Throughout the years, Lisa has volunteered and financially supported numerous charitable causes throughout the Puget Sound area.  She is most proud of her volunteer activities and unwavering support of WSU, Lisa and Jim are benefactors and laureates of WSU and Lisa serves as the current president of the WSU Foundation and chair of the Board of Directors. 

The Kings have one daughter who is also a WSU alumna.  While the greater Seattle area is their primary residence, Lisa and Jim built a home in Pullman last year to be closer to their alma mater.

Katey Koehn graduated from WSU Global Campus in 2014. She served as a Student Involvement Committee member for ASWSU Global and was an enthusiastic supporter of the Coug family.

Katey has been a leader in the information technology industry for more than 20 years, working for several pre-eminent companies including eBay, Yahoo, and Verizon. She is a proud Coug and active member of WSU’s Alumni Association, serving as vice president of the association’s board of directors.

She currently works as director of technical program management for Walmart Global Tech and lives in Port Orchard, Washington.

Gary Rubens graduated from WSU Global Campus in May of 2022, fulfilling a goal forty years in the making. He was originally accepted to WSU Pullman in 1981 but the cost was prohibitive for him at the time.

Gary went on to an impressive career, working as an executive for multiple companies, including as a vice president at Lowe’s. He is a philanthropist and ardent supporter of higher education in Washington—with his Rubens Family Foundation donating millions to provide scholarships to students across the state. He also serves on the board of directors of the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship.

He is currently the CEO of Athlete Intelligence and lives in Bellevue, Washington, with his wife, Jennifer.