How a Great City Moves • Latisha Hill
About Latisha Hill
Latisha Hill, Vice President of Community Affairs & Chief Customer Officer at Avista, was honored by YWCA Spokane in 2020 with the Women of Achievement Award in the Business & Industry category. In a video for the organization, Hill discussed her career trajectory, noting that she began working at age 16 and rose from an intern at Avista to a senior leadership role as vice president of community and economic vitality. She described her educational path, which included attending Pacific University, community college, Washington State University, and later earning a master's degree in planning from Eastern Washington University. Hill spoke about being raised by a "village" of family, church, and community members, and said she believes people are "called to be a part of that bigger village." In the same 2020 appearance, Hill reflected on the challenges of leadership during a difficult year, stating, "It's been a heck of a year to be a leader, so it's been challenging, it's been humbling." She emphasized the importance of asking questions such as "why are we doing it that way, or who's not at the table" to encourage broader thinking and to "unpack and dismantle systems that have not served us well." Hill also said that failing to eliminate racism means "leaving some incredible talent on the table." In a 2014 video, Hill, then regional business manager for Avista Utilities, discussed the company's vanpool program in partnership with Spokane Transit Authority, noting that the vanpool alone had accumulated 77,000 total miles.