Colleen Fuchs
Executive Director
At Joya since 2016
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher since 1984
Biography
Colleen (Thompson) Fuchs is the Executive Director of Joya Child & Family Development, a non-profit providing early intervention services to infants and toddlers in Spokane County. Colleen has a longtime connection to Joya, formerly the Spokane Guilds’ School, and a strong affinity for the organization’s mission and history. She’s an alumni parent and former board member who’s seen first-hand the value of early intervention. In 2016 she was hired to serve as Joya’s program coordinator, overseeing a team of therapists and teachers and coordinating with Joya’s medical and social workers to deliver the best program possible for children and families. In 2019, Colleen was promoted to Executive Director and has led the 62 year old organization through the construction of a new facility and move to the University District in 2022. Colleen has experience as a teacher and administrator in early childhood and elementary education; pediatric hospital and residential care of medically complex children; owning and operating a business; and in higher education and early learning research. She is a native of Spokane and holds a bachelor’s degree in Education with endorsements in Elementary Education, Special Education and Early Childhood Special Education from Gonzaga University.
Colleen and her husband Tom have been married since 1989 and have four adult sons.
Education
- Bachelor of Education, Special Education, Birth to 3, Gonzaga University
