Shelise Smithgall

Shelise Smithgall serves as the Office Assistant for the Veteran and Military-Connected Student Center, where she enjoys supporting students throughout their academic journey. She especially values hearing their stories and building personal connections that help her understand how to best support them.

An alumna of Central Washington University, Shelise earned her bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences. She has worked at CWU for over 13 years in a variety of roles and brings experience from administrative positions throughout Kittitas County, most recently with the Kittitas County Board of County Commissioners.

A resident of Ellensburg for over 30 years, Shelise loves spending time outdoors, especially in the mountains surrounding the Kittitas Valley. She enjoys both solo and group hiking and backpacking. Her adventures have taken her from Spain’s Camino de Santiago to the Pacific Crest Trail where she recently spent 2 continuous months backpacking through the Mojave Desert and Sierra Nevada Mountain range with her daughter, who was thru-hiking the trail.

Shelise is also an active volunteer with Kittitas County Search & Rescue under the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, where she combines her love of hiking with serving the community.

Shelise has been married to her husband, Dwayne, a local pastor, for over 30 years. They have two adult children and a close-knit family that includes Shelise’s identical twin sister, who also lives locally. Both twins have two children, each with a son and daughter the same ages. Shelise enjoys playing competitive pickleball in tournaments with her husband and sister.