For the first time in more than 20 years, Lura Powell doesn’t have an official meeting to attend.

The retired federal civil servant and former director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has served on various boards and commissions since moving to the Tri-Cities to join PNNL.

“It’s been constant,” said Powell, who wrapped up her last major commitment when her nearly 12-year tenure on the Washington State University Board of Regents came to an end this past fall.

“I just felt when my term was up, I was going to leave.”

Her time as a regent was never without excitement. From helping to establish WSU’s medical school in Spokane to helping to hire two new university presidents, Powell said she’s seen a lot change in the WSU system and at the Tri-Cities campus specifically, with more likely to come.  

“I am very encouraged and bullish about the future of our campus here,” said Powell, who was named the 2023 Tri-Citian of the Year.

Powell hails from Maryland and worked in the federal government before moving west.

She was director of the Advanced Technology Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she oversaw a high-risk technology investment portfolio.

She also chaired the Biotechnology Research Committee of the National Science and Technology Council, which coordinated biotechnology research across the federal government.

Wanting a change, she accepted the PNNL position in Richland, which is operated by Battelle on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. She oversaw the region’s largest employer from 2000-03.

After PNNL, she wasn’t idle long. Former Gov. Christine Gregoire named her the first chair of the state’s Life Sciences Discovery Fund Authority in 2006. That was followed by her leading the state’s redistricting commission in 2011 to redraw Washington’s legislative and congressional districts to match the latest census data.

Then, in 2014, former Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Powell as a WSU regent, replacing another prominent Tri-Citian, attorney Fran Forgette.

Then-WSU President Elson S. Floyd didn’t waste any time in tapping Powell for a crucial initiative for the university system.

“I was driving back from regent training when President Floyd called and asked me to be on a commission to discuss medical education in Spokane,” Powell said.

Floyd had been pushing to establish a medical school for WSU as the state faced a doctor shortage, with the University of Washington the only university with a medical school in the state at the time.

Powell and the other regents determined WSU was in a solid position to operate its own medical school, helping to convince the state Legislature to amend the state law in 2015 to allow its formation. Only months later, Floyd died of complications of colon cancer.

“It was a heavy lift to get that medical school, and he just gave it his all,” Powell said.

Powell and her fellow regents also led the committee to search for the late Floyd’s replacement, bringing on then-President Kirk Schulz from Kansas State University.

“It was up to him to make sure (the medical school) got started and started well,” she said. “The results have been fantastic with graduates by and large staying in state,” though, she added, launching such the program put a financial strain on the university.

Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, creating new challenges for enrollment, retention and funding.

Once the pandemic was largely in the rear view, WSU’s athletic conference, the Pac-12, imploded in 2022 and 2023, putting the university, Schulz and the regents on the defensive. WSU and the only other remaining Pac-12 member, Oregon State University, recruited seven new members to join conference athletic play in the 2026-27 season.

“It’s been challenging but wow what an interesting time,” Powell said. “I never had a chance to be bored.”

Kirk retired in early 2025 and Powell once again was part of the search for WSU’s next president. That brought Elizabeth Cantwell, formerly of Utah State University, to Pullman. Powell praised Cantwell’s deep experience working with national labs, strong communication and organizational skills. All of that is needed right now as the university wrestles with the politicization of higher education and research funding at the national level.

“We have the right person at the right time,” she said.

And while the regents’ top priorities are serving the WSU system as a whole, Powell acknowledged she had the Tri-Cities campus in mind throughout her tenure.

“I took opportunities to educate others about all the things the Tri-Cities is doing,” she said. “And I will say, that under Chancellor (Sandra) Haynes, that campus has just blossomed.”

WSU Tri-Cities has seen enrollment growth the other campuses have not, and it has become a focal point of efforts around energy research such as nuclear and sustainable aviation fuel.

“I think this is our time,” she said.

Powell is hopeful her regent replacement will be another Tri-Citian, but she’s ready to look ahead and happy to have more time to focus on her family and other projects, noting the volume of email she receives has gone down significantly.

She’s excited to watch and cheer on WSU, and the Tri-Cities campus, only this time from the sidelines.

“I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. It was a wonderful experience,” Powell said.