Fellows Help Forum Grow
The Spokane River Forum is growing under the auspices of a pilot program launched earlier this year to provide a unique professional development opportunity for young adults in our community.
Meet Maddox Reimer and Elouise Hollenkamp, the first recipients of the Forum’s new 12-month undergraduate fellowship for local college students, made possible by a gift from the Johnston-Fix Foundation. After onboarding with us this summer, Maddox and Elouise are returning for their senior year at Gonzaga and will be continuing with us part-time throughout the 2025-2026 school year.
Maddox is originally from Missoula, Montana and considers the Inland Northwest on both sides of the Rockies home. Growing up on bikes, skis, hiking trails, and the Clark Fork River, environmental stewardship has always seemed like common sense to Maddox.
“Quality of life in places like Missoula and Spokane depends so much on access to nature,” he said. “Everyone likes the rivers, mountains, and pine forests around here, so it’s important to be thoughtful and take care of them.”
Blending his passion for the great outdoors with his award-winning prowess as an English major, Maddox helps the Forum with all things writing – especially our eNews articles – and event coordination. He has also been a big help with river cleanups and other fieldwork along our Water Trail access sites.
Maddox reports that his time with the Forum so far has taught him invaluable lessons about what it actually means to be professionally involved in environmental stewardship.
“I love studying the environment in the classroom, but you can’t get the full picture without being directly involved,” he said. “My work with the Forum has shown me what the river actually means to people right here in my community, rather than in a book.”
Maddox intends to pursue a Ph.D after he graduates and hopes to eventually become a professor. He is primarily interested in how the environment and resources like water and forests inform culture and storytelling.
His biggest take-away from his time so far at the Forum?
“If you ask for things nicely and communicate well, you can get a lot done.”
Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Elouise shares similar interests, albeit from a different perspective as an Environmental Studies and French major with a minor in Sustainable Business.
The Forum’s mission has a strong connection to Elouise’s background as a former competitive swimmer in a state chock-full of lakes.
“Water has always been an important part of who I am,” she said. “When I learned about the opportunity to support the Spokane River Forum’s mission to protect the region’s river and watershed, it felt like a natural fit with my background and studies.”
Chances are, if you’ve seen a social media post from the Forum that’s caught your eye, it’s the work of Elouise. She has helped expand the Forum’s social media presence, contributed to our digital media campaigns, supported initiative development, communications, writing, and chipped in wherever else an extra set of hands was useful.
Thanks to her, our work has reached more people and supported our mission of connecting the community to the river.
“One of the biggest surprises for me has been realizing just how much happens behind the scenes at a nonprofit,” said Elouise. “From managing grants to navigating partnerships, initiatives, and community history, there’s a constant web of connections to understand. Projects often branch off into layers of related issues and historical factors. It can be a lot to follow, but it’s fascinating.”
Elouise hopes to utilize her business expertise towards issues of environmental sustainability after she graduates next spring. She sees nonprofit work as critical to her goal.
“So much effort goes into effective local advocacy,” she said. “Small organizations like SRF often carry out work that quietly shapes the community.”
The Forum looks forward to continuing to work with students like Maddox and Elouise who bring their unique backgrounds and personal interests to bear in the world of environmental stewardship and conservation. We want to work with and inspire the growth of the next generation of leaders!