Patricia McRae

Hometown:Spokane
Place of Residence:South Hill
Occupation:President, KHQ Inc. & Cowles Montana Media

Spokane was the hometown Patricia McRae never wanted to come back to. Now, she says she’ll never leave.

After graduating from Rogers High School and then Washington State University, McRae’s career in TV news took her in many directions. She traveled from Bakersfield to Reno, San Jose, San Francisco, back to Reno, then to Miami. When back in Reno yet again, she married Kevin McRae and the couple started planning another move when the phone rang. It was the general manager at KHQ, the local NBC affiliate, who wanted to talk to her about a unique opportunity in Spokane.

“I looked at the interview as a free ticket to visit my mom,” McRae admitted. “KHQ’s management wanted me to be News Director and help change the station’s image and staffing. I walked in and the equipment was old and I thought, this could be a real challenge.”

It wasn’t just the station that had room for improvement. McRae said back then Riverpark Square wasn’t complete, and downtown Spokane was a ghost town. “It was a scary feeling. I looked around and thought do I really want to be part of this community? I took the plunge and moved, and I’ve never looked back.”

Once here, she found the city coming alive again. Rehabilitations were happening downtown, the landscape changed for professionals, there was growth and opportunity, and the business culture was progressing.

“You know there’s a good vibe in a city when you see so much going on,” she said. “Over the last 10 years, Spokane has expanded to include layers of leadership. There’s the stability, then the core risk takers who put themselves out there to lead, then there’s this new layer of professional leadership coming in that’s going to bring us to another level. All three working together are creating the thought process that will keep moving forward.”

McRae says getting involved will help newcomers thrive as professionals here. “There’s a strong sense of community that not a lot of other cities have, and that’s important. Finding a mentor is the key to success. Don’t be afraid to let others help you get involved. Join a professional organization or club. Just find someone quickly to help you expand your wings.”