Kent McLaughlin
Vice-President
Kent graduated in 1972 from Queen Anne High School in Seattle, Washington. He studied music at Western Washington State College in Bellingham for a year and a half, following a standout performance of the first movement of Schumann’s A Minor Piano Concerto at his senior recital with the QA High School Orchestra. Kent began playing piano at age six and continues to play today. His musical path also led him to the violin, where he served as Concertmaster of the Seattle All-City High School Orchestra in his senior year and performed with the WWSC Symphony Orchestra (now WWSU).
In May 1979, Kent participated in the est Training, a transformative experience that deeply influenced his life. He remained engaged in personal development work for decades, assisting in course production for Landmark Education through 2017.
Kent’s professional life has been diverse and community-centered. He has worked as a cashier at Sandpoint Naval Air Station, a server at Host International Restaurant at Seattle-Tacoma Airport, and a waiter at several establishments including the Whidbey Island Air Force Officers’ Club, Roberts Restaurant in Anacortes, and the Bush House Country Inn. He also served as a cook at Mt. Index Café and later as a chef at the Bush House.
His entrepreneurial ventures include owning The Elegance, a catering company, and co-owning the Too Much Fun Café at Doe Bay on Orcas Island. Kent managed a medical-dental building and several duplexes, and served as property manager for the Space Needle Restaurant.
He spent 11 years as Associate Editor of the Index Eagle Newspaper and served on the Town Council of Index, Washington, for the same duration—10 of those years as Mayor Pro Tem. He also led the town’s Water Department. Kent worked as a house cleaner for the owners of Paradise Sound Recording Studio and spent over 15 years as the owner and innkeeper of the Purple Sage Motel in Sprague, Washington, where he also served as an officer of the Sprague Chamber of Commerce.
Currently, Kent works as a painter for Sam Corchaine Enterprises LLC in Spokane Valley, Washington, restoring vacated apartments to near-new condition. He is the company’s longest-serving employee, with over 11 years of service, excluding a 39-month break beginning in August 2017.
During that time, Kent was arrested in Coeur d'Alene in a federal sting operation and charged with a non-violent federal offense. He accepted a plea deal of 46 months and served 39 months with good behavior, followed by five years of supervised release. He has completed all required treatment, and his parole officer has supported his request for early termination, which was initiated over a year ago.
Kent’s experience with the criminal justice system—marked by mistreatment and injustice—led him to join Neal Abramson’s initiative to reform incarceration and the judicial system. This effort evolved into Prisons 2 Partnerships, where Kent has been an active participant, serving on the technical team for the first conference and as a board member.
He remains committed to being a voice for those impacted by incarceration and their families, and continues to advocate for meaningful change through the mission of Prisons to Partnerships.