CWU interim Chief of Staff takes over as president of Ellensburg Downtown Association

Before taking on the Interim Chief of Staff position at Central Washington University last year, Dr. Dania Cochran had already laid down sturdy roots in Ellensburg.

A resident of 23 years, Cochran graduated from CWU in 2005 with her bachelor’s degree in Law and Justice, and again in 2012 with a master’s in Exercise Science.

In her current position, she leverages her background as a Wildcat and a long-term Ellensburg resident in order to bridge the gap between the city and the university, often referred to as the “town and gown relationship.”

Cochran’s dedication to this work recently led her to accept the position of president of the board of the Ellensburg Downtown Association (EDA), a local development organization charged with ensuring that the downtown area serves both businesses and community members alike.

“I thought that this would be a really good community organization for Central to be connected with, because of the way we try to give our students a full, rich life outside of the classroom,” she said. “Shopping and eating locally, looking for employment around town — all of our students engage with Ellensburg in some way or another, so this seemed like an excellent connection point.”

Cochran started her work with the EDA in 2022 when she stepped into the role of executive liaison for the CWU President’s Office, a position centered around community outreach. She was quickly voted onto the EDA board, and just three days later, was approached by then-president Darren Reid about taking on the role of vice president.

Since then, Cochran has been hard at work supporting the organization and its staff, gaining experience she knows will serve her well in her new position.

“I’ve spent every other week meeting with the EDA staff to make sure they have what they need and feel supported,” she said. “That has built a very strong foundation for me to move into the role of president.”

The EDA’s structure stipulates a change in leadership every two years, with the vice president stepping into the presidentship. That change-over occurred on March 24, and in the time since, Cochran’s been expanding her perspective and getting a feel for the journey ahead.

“Going into those meetings with my brand-new president hat on helped me get a handle on how to lay out our next three to five years,” she said. “I have some amazing growth opportunities ahead of me in this role, but I also have so many amazing people in my corner from across the community.”

The EDA is currently overseeing an effort to more thoroughly welcome CWU students, faculty, and staff into Ellensburg’s downtown area through events, discount programs, and more.

“What we’re doing right now is collecting data from the EDA and the Chamber of Commerce about whether businesses offer, or want to offer, discounts to members of the CWU community,” Cochran said. “Once we have a really comprehensive list like that, we can bring it to campus and let people know that there are some deals waiting for them downtown.”

As Cochran and the EDA work to present a united front between Ellensburg and CWU, they remain mindful of the town’s identity, and the deliberation required when trying to implement cultural changes.

“We also love seeing the increase in alumni-owned businesses coming into the downtown core; even those businesses with no alumni ties have been incredibly supportive and welcoming, looking to display Wildcat Pride,” Cochran said. “I love seeing the CWU support, and I also want to ensure I am fulfilling my board president role in a way that makes our Ellensburg community and EDA team proud.”

As she hits her stride in her work with the EDA, Cochran sees approachability and collaboration as being key to success.

“I’m very open to suggestions and feedback from our Wildcat community about the work the EDA is doing,” she said. “There is a strong desire to see our students spend more time downtown, which will be an enriching experience for everyone involved.”