Providing Resources & Opportunities
Chris Martin – Executive Director
Chris brings to Prodigy Northwest a broad based management background. His career spans over thirty years in fundraising, project management, event planning, volunteer management and community leadership in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. A founding member of the regional arts organization, First Night Spokane and until recently their Executive Director, he has turned his full time focus on building the success of Prodigy Northwest. Other management roles have included positions with the Spokane Arena and the March of Dimes.
Chris has served previously as the President of the Parent Teacher Group (PTG) for the Odyssey gifted education program at the Libby Center in Spokane, WA and is currently a member of the Spokane Public Schools Gifted Education Parent Advisory Committee. A member of the Spokane STEM Design and Leadership team, Chris is part of a group of leaders from K-12, higher educations, business, and non-profit organizations who are setting goals and objectives for STEM learning opportunities in Spokane County. Most recently, he joined the board of Northwest Gifted Child Association (NWGCA) to become more active in gifted related topics across the state of Washington. As a co-founder of Prodigy Northwest, Chris is proud to be part of an organization that is dedicated to serving the needs of gifted youth, their families, and those who educate them.
A native of Seattle, Chris is happily married and the father of two daughters. He has a passion for gifted education and has experienced first-hand the unique needs of these very special children.
Deborah Johnson – Education Director
With a career spanning over thirty-five years in teaching, curriculum development & coordination, and school administration, Deb’s most recent experience has been serving as the principal of Libby Center in Spokane Public Schools, a school for intellectually gifted children. Her other past leadership roles include, principal at Hutton and Lidgerwood Elementary Schools in Spokane, school administration in the Kiona-Benton City School District and teaching in the Richland School District, all part of the Washington State public school system.
Retiring from Libby Center in July of 2010, her thirteen years there included the creation and development of the full time Odyssey program, serving 200 highly capable students. While at Libby, Deb was also responsible for overseeing Tessera, a one day a week program dedicated to serving 350 gifted and talented elementary students from throughout Spokane Public Schools. Deb is widely recognized for her passion and love of gifted children. Her knowledge and understanding of their unique, specialized needs has led to her strong advocacy for gifted education opportunities and programs for these special youth in the state of Washington. Deb is also currently lending her talents to Whitworth University as a member of the Gifted Advisory Board for their Center for Gifted Education.
Born and raised in Colfax, a small farming community in southeastern Washington, Deb is devoted to her family, as well as the nurturing and learning of all children. She now looks forward to continuing to serve gifted youth and their families through her latest efforts as a co-founder of Prodigy Northwest.
Contact Us
Chris Martin
Phone: 509.979.4813
Email: Chris@prodigynw.org
Deb Johnson
Phone: 509.599.4200
Email: Deb@prodigynw.org
General Information
Email: Info@prodigynw.org
