The Milton Freewater Area Foundation Distribution Committee is made up of a Director and five Committee Members who represent several local entities. These include: The City of Milton Freewater, the MF Chamber of Commerce, the MF School District, Baker Boyer Bank and the Kiwanis Club. Baker Boyer Bank is the trustee for the Foundation trust fund. Read about each of the Committee members below.
Committee Chairwoman |
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Janet Millar: Janet has served on the Committee of Distribution for the Foundation since 2014. She is a long-time resident of Milton Freewater, having relocated from Arizona when she was quite young in 1974. Janet is a Mac-Hi graduate. As she raised her family, many years were spent with Janet volunteering in the local schools and her husband coaching basketball. Once the kids moved on to college, Mrs. Millar joined the Chamber of Commerce as a board member, and then with the Ambassadors, where she still serves. Janet loves the outdoors, gardening and yard work. She and her family also spend a lot of time in their mountain cabin and are very involved with their children and grandkids. Janet is passionate about her involvement in the MF Area Foundation because she loves to see kids succeed at school and move on to bigger things. The scholarships that the Foundation offers help students achieve their long-term goals and better their lives. She loves being a part of local events that help Milton Freewater bring about positive growth and change to its citizens. |
Committee VP Chairman |
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Steve Irving: Steve has served over 13 years on the MF Area Foundation Distribution Committee. He has lived in Milton Freewater for 37 years, working in the managerial side of various local grocery retail businesses. Steve is very dedicated to supporting his local community, having served on the MF City Council for more than 20 years where he currently serves as Council president. He is a member of the Chamber Ambassadors and is a board member with the M-F Community Development Partnership and the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council. Mr. Irving is a great lover of sports. Previously he was involved in youth softball and the Mac-Hi JV Squad. He loves to cheer on the Gonzaga Basketball team. Steve’s favorite pastime passion is supporting his own high school alumni. He is the Alumni Registrar for the Cascade Locks High School and serves on their Alumni Board. Steve is dedicated to his civic responsibilities and is proud to be the City of Milton Freewater’s committee representative. |
Committee Members |
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Michelle Thacker has been in the Milton-Freewater area most of her life. She graduated from McLoughlin High School, attended Lewis & Clark College, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina and has a Leadership Certification from Walla Walla Community College. She was an English as a second language tutor at Mac-Hi for five years while teaching conversational Spanish for Blue Mtn. Community College. Michelle represents Baker Boyer Bank where she currently works as a VP Cash Management Services Manager. Michelle has served in several committee positions for the Milton Freewater Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the Athena Weston School District Budget Committee. Michelle and her husband, Corey have two grown sons. Mrs. Thacker enjoys spending time with her silver labs, attending Walla Walla Sweets baseball games, singing with the W.W. Choral Society, golfing and vacationing with her family. |
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Kathy Lonai is one of the newest members of the MF Area Foundation Distribution Committee. She is a lifelong resident of Milton Freewater, having attended the small country schools of Fruitvale, Ferndale and Pleasant View and graduating from Mac-Hi. She’s been an educator for the Milton Freewater Unified School District for almost 34 years and loves teaching! Kathy and her husband Danny have 3 grown children and enjoy spending time outdoors, snow skiing, hiking and bicycling. Having a childhood dream of becoming a teacher and then being able to realize that dream makes her want to help others do the same. As a young adult, receiving scholarships from her own hometown community made her feel like others wanted to see her succeed. On the MF Area Foundation Distribution Committee, she hopes to “pay it forward” and watch our youth and others realize dreams of their own, maybe even coming back to be active citizens of this great place! |
| Picture coming soon! | Kathie Yeager: A new member to the Distribution Committee, Kathie's picture and information will be coming soon. |
Foundation Director |
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Jennifer Riley: Jennifer Riley has served as the MFAF Director since August of 2024. Ms. Riley began a teaching career in Helix, later moving to Weston McEwen High School in Athena, and completing her teaching career working the last 24 years in the Milton-Freewater School District. She held a variety of teaching positions at both the high school and elementary schools. One of her favorite titles was that of school librarian.
Jennifer and her husband, Kevin have lived in Milton-Freewater for 32 years and raised three children here. Her hobbies include reading, bike riding, baking, paddleboarding, and snowboarding. She has been involved in philanthropic work through her membership with PEO. Jennifer is excited to be able to continue supporting the youth of our local community through her work with the Foundation, as well as helping local civic organizations accomplish their own goals of helping the citizens of the Walla Walla Valley. |