20 Under 40: Whitney Hoshaw

Willamalane Park and Recreation District

As a recipient of the 20 Under 40 award, I am honored to be recognized alongside so many inspiring individuals, past and present. Two core values guide my philosophy in life and as a leader: authenticity and betterment. Authentic interactions with others help me create spaces that promote inclusivity and joy at work and home. I also believe in constant self-improvement to better show up for myself, my team at work, my family at home, and the community in general.

At Willamalane, I live these core values daily in service to our community. Some of our team’s most exciting work uses data to inform outreach strategies and identify gaps in our services. Even if we can’t achieve everything we want today, we make small, imperfect improvements. Constant improvement in the interest of public good is the work that drives me.

As a professional communicator, I strongly believe that every story we want to tell has a place, and it’s up to us to authentically and candidly share those stories and create a better world for everyone. Outside of work, I write stories that I hope will one day help to advocate for issues I care deeply about, including chronic illness and sexual assault awareness. As a leader, I use my skills and voice to support others to rise together and create a better and more authentic place to live.