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Staff
James Hiers
Operations Coordinator
James (he/him) became interested in systems, operations and program coordination during his time as a Alcohol and Drug Educator at the University of Maine where he managed daily operations, updated procedures, oversaw grant and policy writing, and supervised student workers. With a professional background in mental health service provisions and higher education, James brings compassion, humor, problem-solving, and an eye for simplifying processes as PJALS first ever Operations Coordinator. In this new role, James hopes to increase organizational efficiency to allow staff to put their energy into action rather than paperwork. In his free time, James enjoys writing fiction, playing DnD, and spending time with his family and animals: his dog Lulu and a school of fish.
Shantell Jackson
Community Organizer
Shantell (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist residing in Spokane, WA, originally from Buffalo, NY. Her creative process is deeply internal, emerging outward into colorful, rhythmic, and textural works. In addition to being an artist, Shantell is a poet, writer, speaker, and educator. She has two pieces of prose/poetry published in the anthology “Evergreen: Grim Tales & Verses from the Gloomy Northwest.” With over 20 years of experience in higher education and arts administration, she has served 17 years in higher education with a focus on academic and multicultural programming and was the Activist in Residence at Eastern Washington University in 2022.
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Shantell’s work, both in the community and as a visual artist and writer, aspires to merge her disciplines into installations and performance art that explore the human condition from contemporary and historical perspectives, fostering dialogue across differences to build bridges, promote acceptance, and encourage healing.
Nicolai Jaggar
Youth Organizer
Nicolai (he/him) recently graduated high school, and is hoping to study political science after a gap year.
In the meantime, he hopes to immerse himself within Spokane’s social justice community, and learn from the best. In his time at PJALS, Nico would like to help create a fun, constructive space for our upcoming YALP session. He believes that education and involvement surrounding local issues are the first steps to creating a unified community.
Nico also really loves his pets, and will definitely show you pictures if asked.
Shar Lichty
Development Director
Shar (they/she) received their BASW with a minor in Africana Education from EWU in June 2010. Following an internship and a year as an AmeriCorps/VISTA volunteer with PJALS, Shar joined the PJALS staff as Organizer in 2011. Shar was first introduced to PJALS in 2006 when the human rights club at SCC that she was involved with co-sponsored a death penalty awareness event with PJALS. That event directly led to Shar’s commitment to work on social justice issues. Shar moved into the Development Director position in 2020.
Bex Alena Lyonne
Digital Organizer
Bex (they/them) is a queer activist with a passion for social justice and community health. After a 6+ tenure working in healthcare as a clinical laboratory scientist, they received their Master’s Degree in Public Health in January 2023 and made the transition into community-centered work. Bex believes that social justice and public health are deeply interconnected and strives to advance community health and wellness through community education, advocacy, organizing.
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As the digital organizer for PJALS, Bex works to strengthen communications within the PJALS staff team, from the staff team to Steering Committee and larger membership, and to the broader Spokane community. They work with the PJALS team to develop, evaluate, and adjust organizational strategy in regards to digital communication and online mobilization. They create and manage our social media channels, manage and update our website, design and distribute quarterly newsletters, document our work out in the community through photography and videography, and work to build in consistency in messaging across all of our platforms. Bex connects with communications leaders at partner organizations to amplify community messages, events, news, and more.
In their free time, Bex enjoys skiing, gardening, cooking, reading, and playing with their two adorable fur babies!
Liz Moore
Executive Director
With more than 25 years of experience, Liz Moore (she/her) knows social justice organizing and movement-building is both an art and a science. People power happens when we come together with fire in the belly, authentic relationships, shared values, a plan to win, and the know-how to mobilize!
Growing up in a working-class household, Liz’s family’s life transformed when her dad got a union job. As a kid and as an organizer, she has experienced the impact and witnessed the power of regular people uniting with courage, determination, and strategy.
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After looking up “peace” in the phone book, Liz began her activism as a high school student by joining the PJALS youth program. Liz has worked as a union and community organizer, educator, leader, and consultant. Her experience includes racial justice, worker rights, mass incarceration, anti-imperialism, and opposing white nationalism. As an educator, Liz has developed and led workshops on worker organizing, race and class, white allyship for racial justice, organizational development, strategic campaigns, and more. She is passionate about grassroots leadership development and supporting youth as leaders.
While serving as Executive Director of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS) for over a decade, Liz quadrupled the budget and staff capacity while growing membership and strategic partnerships for successful campaigns.
Liz is committed to building a class-conscious, cross-racial, intergenerational, all-gender, rural-urban, bottom-up movement centered on the leadership of impacted people.In all that she does, Liz is fueled by the belief that everyday people have the power to build a just and nonviolent world.
Liz lives on her family’s farm in Eastern Washington, where she loves time with her kids, the quiet and beauty of the prairie, caring and committed fellow organizers, and the excellent coffee shops of downtown Spokane.
Foster Transue
Youth Organizer
Foster (he/they) was born in Kansas City, but has spent half their life in Spokane. They graduated in 2023 and are continuing their education. A child of advocates, they grew up believing that activism is the rent we pay towards society. With PJALS, Foster hopes to learn more about the experience of others, and how to equitably build community. In his free time, he loves music, gaming, the arts, and his cat Archimedes.
Steering Committee
Naghmana Ahmed-Sherazi
Naghmana (she/her) moved to Spokane in 2012 with her son. Coming from a bustling metropolis like Houston with its varied and diverse micro-cultural communities, she finds it interesting to see people’s reactions when they met her or her son in Spokane. She welcomes any questions about her faith, culture, ethnicity, race, language, and education. She has so far loved living in Spokane with its four seasons and unique landscape. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, she has had the good fortune of travelling since an early, and has been educated on four different continents, and considers herself a global citizen. Naghmana is an active member of the Spokane Islamic Center, Spokane Women Together, Muslims for Community Action and Support, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition Spokane, and other organizations. Naghmana was the co-chair of No Discrimination Spokane, the coalition that defeated the anti-immigrant profiling initiative in 2017.
Ayaka Dohi
Co-Chair
Ayaka (she/her) graduated from Gonzaga University in 2013 and from PJALS’ Young Activist Leaders Program in 2016. She is the Director for Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Whitworth University. Ayaka is a member of PJALS’ Fundraising and Sustainability Committee.
Gian Mitchell
Gian (he/him) became a part of the PJALS community in 2017 through YALP. Since then, he’s been a part of the SURJ committee, Fundraising & Sustainability Committee, and had the privilege of peacekeeping at multiple community events. Gian interned with PJALS in the summer of 2020 while earning his BA in Peace Studies. Graduating in 2021, Gian is currently working for a local law firm that helps people with disabilities apply for social security disability benefits. In his free time, he loves to listen to audiobooks, (slowly) walk his adorable elderly dog (pictured above), and catch up with friends.
Yasi Naraghi
Yasi (she/her) is a graduate of the University of Washington, having received her PhD in 2018. Her scholarship focuses on ethics and totalitarian regimes, making her eager to talk at length about fascism and anti-fascist movements. She moved to Spokane two years ago to teach at Gonzaga.
Heather Wallace
Secretary
Heather (she/her) is a Program Manager of Convening and Community Voice at Better Health Together. Heather has degrees in Sociology from Whitman College and a Master’s in Communication and Leadership studies with research in community dialogue from Gonzaga. She has lived in all the Pacific Northwest states and moved back to Spokane in 2002 with her family. In her free time, Heather loves to travel around the world learning about other cultures, and reading and writing. Heather is a member of the Fundraising and Sustainability Committee.
Sally Winkle
Sally (she/her) is a professor emerita from Eastern Washington University. She has lived in Spokane since 1983 and has been involved in social justice activities for many years, through the Central America Solidarity Association in the 1980s and later through PJALS. Sally was the director of Women’s and Gender Studies at EWU until her retirement in 2018. With other faculty and staff, she co-founded the Activist in Residence Program at EWU, which is designed to help students get involved in activism and community organizing. Sally is a member of the Fundraising and Sustainability Committee.