Who We Are

JJ Vancil, our Executive Director, has been an integral part of the Spokane community since 2001 and brings extensive experience from his involvement in youth-serving organizations. His unwavering commitment to our mission, team building, and empowering staff to achieve their fullest potential sets him apart. JJ’s true passion lies in envisioning a bright future for our organization. Married to Katy since 2005, he takes great pride in raising his two wonderful children, Owen and Nora. When not working, JJ finds solace in quality time with his family, playing tennis, exploring Spokane’s vibrant food scene, diving into books, and maintaining an active lifestyle. Guided by Wayne Gretzky’s wisdom, “Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been,” JJ embodies a forward-thinking mindset. JJ’s steadfast dedication and visionary leadership propel our organization’s success.

A fun fact about JJ is at heart, he is a tech nerd and, in an alternate universe, he likes to think he was on the ground floor building a company like Apple.

Originally from Beeville, a small town in South Texas, Audrey spent 12 years in San Antonio before relocating to Spokane in the summer of 2021.  As our Associate Executive Director, Audrey enjoys leading our team, strengthening staff relationships, managing projects, and overseeing our strategic execution. Prior to joining our organization, Audrey worked in youth focused non-profits for eight years and taught elementary school for two years. When she’s not working, Audrey can be found spending time with loved ones, cooking with her husband, tending to her plants, traveling, and hosting gatherings.  One of her favorite quotes is from Brené Brown: “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” 

A fun fact about Audrey is that she started dating her now-husband Kurtis during the pandemic shutdown while living in different states and got engaged just six months later.

Chris, better known as “Sloan”, brings to Generation Alive expertise in both youth ministry and non-profit philanthropy. After graduating from Eastern Washington University with a degree in marketing, Sloan served as youth pastor at Timberview Church for 18 years, as well as denominational youth director. In 2013 he co-founded At The Core, a non-profit organization focused on empowering businesses, churches, and civic organizations to adopt local elementary, middle, and high schools to provide weekend meals for students facing hunger. At The Core and Second Harvest combined their efforts in the fall of 2013 and formalized the Bite2Go program, with Sloan at the lead. Today, over 5,000 students receive Bite2Go every weekend in every school in Spokane County. Sloan and his wife Brenna were married in 1997 and have three children Ella, Aidan, and Norah. Sloan loves everything football and has been a high school football coach for 25 years. He also thoroughly enjoys almost any outdoor adventure: fly fishing, hiking, snow shoeing, camping. GA is the perfect confluence of his passion and calling.

Rachelle Goodbrake is our dedicated Program Coordinator, bringing extensive experience and a deep passion for empowering youth. Originally from Hilo, Hawaii, she has made Spokane her home since 2015. As a proud mother and Program Coordinator, Rachelle finds fulfillment in working directly with youth, guiding them on their path to success. Her background in addressing food insecurity for youth and advocating against Human Trafficking adds valuable expertise to her role. During her leisure time, Rachelle cherishes moments spent with her daughter, exploring local parks, swimming, and pursuing her love for photography. Her favorite quote, “May we be brave enough for it. May it be ready for us,” inspires her to embrace challenges with courage. With a multicultural background and experiences living in various countries, Rachelle enriches our team and the Spokane community.  We greatly value Rachelle Goodbrake’s commitment and passion for empowering youth, making her an invaluable asset as our Program Coordinator.

A fun fact about Rachelle is she was born in Washington, grew up in Hawaii, lived in Germany for 3 months, lived in New Zealand for 6 months, moved to Spokane in 2015 to start a family and has been here ever since.