Officers & Members of Our Board
Cassie Tullis, President
Cassie worked as a teacher and now stays at home with her two sons, Barrett and Gabriel. Her husband, Braden has been a friend to the Richter family since he was a kid and is how she first attended a Legacy event.
Years ago at Cassie’s first attendance of the annual Luau her mother was going through cancer treatments. The experience with her mother made the mission of Laurel’s Legacy even more dear to her heart. Cassie experienced first hand how a life-threatening illness affects an individual and every piece of their family.
As president of this board, Cassie is driven by the difference this organization makes for families. She works with the memory of her mother on her heart and the knowledge of how a little light can shine bright during a time that feels so dark and scary.
“When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure.”
Kyle Pike, Board member
Kyle Pike is the oldest son of Todd Pike, who started Laurel’s Luau with Laurel’s husband Gary in celebration of a lost friend’s life he wanted to be sure to commemorate in the right way. Cancer ended Todd’s life as well in early 2014, and the following Luaus have missed the force and true inspiration he brought each year.
Kyle has graciously brought the same passion to help that his dad had for many years and, in that spirit, co-founded the Legacy with the three Richter siblings. He has a quiet sensitivity and an impressive devotion to continue a selfless effort he and his family have given their lives to unfailingly. Kyle resides in San Diego and somehow always has made it home for the Luau, year after year. The board values the commitment he proves to have for not only this event but also for the Legacy. Kyle is the faithful organizer of his dad’s memorial bocce ball tournament each year. It is clear he is everything Todd would have ever hoped him to be.
Zack Ward, Board member
Zack, a proud native of the Treasure Valley, has called this region his home for the majority of his life, witnessing its transformation from quiet and quaint to vibrant and bustling. His journey with Laurel’s Legacy began as a participant in events and activities, eventually leading him into a more active role as a dedicated member of the Board in December 2022. Through this experience, Zack has seen the profound impact of philanthropy in fostering connections and providing essential support to the community’s most valuable asset - its people.
With over 13 years of experience in healthcare administration, Zack is determined to bring care, compassion, and support to members, partners, and beneficiaries of Laurel’s Legacy. Having experienced loss, along with his sister and Board President Cassie, with the passing of their mother to cancer, he understands the importance of empathy and strong community bonds during challenging times.
This personal journey has fueled his dedication to his family, including his wife, two sons, and daughter, whom he cherishes above all else.
Sam Richter, Financial Advisor
Michael Therrien, Vice President
Michael grew up with Pete Richter playing little league baseball together and they built a lifelong friendship. Since its inception, Michael has attended Laurel's Luau as a volunteer and as a champion competitor in the Bocce Ball Tournament. His devotion to the cause is rooted in his own family; his grandmother lost her fight to breast cancer at 42 years young. Michael joined Laurel's Legacy team as a board member in March 2020 to further represent the cause through his community rooted network of friends and business professionals. He intends to gain exposure and promote the organization through his own business as an insurance broker with Myriad Benefits.
Lacy Bellnap, Board Member
Lacy is a stay at home mama to two beautiful girls, Emery and Isla. She was originally introduced to Laurel’s Legacy through her husband Kyle, who was a previous board member. Lacy has attended and volunteered at multiple events throughout the years.
Laurel’s Legacy will always hold a special place in her heart. In 2018, Lacy’s dad Tom was a beneficiary himself. The Legacy helped her parents immensely during that time, and she will be forever grateful. When someone has cancer, everyone who loves them does too. It really helped her to see how an organization like Laurel’s Legacy can make a difference in the lives of families struggling with cancer.
Because of her history with the Legacy through her husband and her dad, and with over 13 years of nursing experience, she is a great fit to bring compassion and care to the beneficiaries and their families.
“It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars.”
Jaime Mewes, Board Member
Jaime is a Boise native and works for a local marketing company. He resides in his hometown of Meridian with his wife and 2 kids.
Like so many others cancer hits close to home as his mother is a survivor. She was diagnosed when Jaime was 18, and this experience during the start of his formative years deepened his want to help however he could. Some years after meeting Pete he started attending/participating in Legacy events.
“After everything those close to me have experienced with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses I knew I wanted to help. Going to these events, hearing testimony, and watching this team work so hard to help others is infectious. It’s inspiring knowing the work we are doing is affecting real change in our community to those that need it.”
Gary Richter, Founding Father
Gary is a co-founder of Laurel’s Luau. He was Laurel’s husband and devoted partner. They raised Stephanie, Pete, and Sam in a household filled with love and laughter. Gary and Laurel accepted every phase of her illness with courage, grace, and determination. They never lost hope that a cure was just around the corner. Gary’s sense of community, passion for service and commitment to patient advocacy, all carried out in Laurel’s memory, are many of the reasons the Luau has grown exponentially over the years and will forever be “Laurel’s Legacy”.
Breanna Knight, Secretary
Breanna met the Richters in 2010 through her husband, Tyler. She works as a teacher in Boise School District but being a mother to her daughter and son is the light to her life.
Since 2012, she has helped at Laurel's Luau and has developed a strong sense of devotion for the nonprofit sector. With her pre-existing passion for the cause, Breanna was eager to join Laurel's Legacy as a board member in 2017. She is forever grateful for the opportunity to support the foundation's vision. With her "can-do" attitude and strong work ethic, Breanna is motivated to helping Laurel's Legacy strive for success.
Scott Jossis, Board Member
Scott grew up in the Boise area with the Pike’s and the Richter’s; and although he competed against Peter during their high school days, they became great friends when both decided to play football at Idaho State. Fast forward 15+ years and they are still great friends. “I never met Laurel, although I have been fortunate to know the Richter Family, and everything they do is for the right reasons which has helped me grow as a person; and don’t forget about the Pike’s! I was fortunate to grow up with Kyle and know Todd as well. Todd knew exactly how to have a good time while keeping his focus on helping others….my kind of guy”.
Scott works as an Electrical Engineer and is a natural leader. Scott has been attending and helping with Laurel’s Luau and the Todd Pike Bocce Ball Tournament since 2007. “I have seen the Legacy evolve into this organization that is able to directly help families that have been affected by life-threatening illnesses; more importantly, I’ve seen the SMILES on the faces of these Families, and that’s why I do this”.
Megan Smith, Board member
Megan is a Realtor for the Treasure Valley area and specializes in assisting Veterans find a home. Wife to a loving husband, AJ, and mother to three children, it’s her eldest son, Michael, that drove her passion for helping other families get through the struggles of cancer. Her son, Michael, was diagnosed with High Risk Neuroblastoma Cancer at the age of 4 and battled 2 hard years of chemotherapy, High Risk abdominal surgery, Radiation, and Immunotherapy. Now 8 years old he is officially cancer free for the past four years and we are forever grateful for his health. During their 2 years of battling Michael’s cancer, Megan experienced the benefits and compassion from family, friends and non-profit organizations like Laurel’s Legacy that helped them both emotionally and financially. It’s these organizations that make a difference when times are tough for cancer families. By being part of Laurel’s Legacy, I’m feel I am able to give back to those in need.
Sharon Blacketter, Honorary Member
Sharon is the sister of Gary, Sister-in-law of Laurel. She has always been a person that people can lean on. Sharon and Laurel were true friends and they shared many moments of hope and humor as Laurel battled cancer. It has been a blessing that Sharon became a part of the Luau team. Throughout the years her thoughtful planning, when it came to how we would serve people and who could help where, has been crucial to the success of the Luau. She continues to be an invaluable member of what has now become “Laurel’s Legacy”.
Pete Richter, Chief Financial Officer
Pete is Laurel and Gary's oldest son, and one of four founders of Laurel's Legacy. Much like his mom, Pete has always had the ability to, as the phrase goes, "light up a room." That energy, a drive to always do things better, and an inclination to see the potential in those around him, has played an influential part in the beginnings of the Legacy. As a teenager, he watched his mom end her fight, his dad recover and take on a responsibility any parent hopes to never face, and his family move forward with a whole new perspective of what life meant to them. His experience has led him to develop a belief in all things possible. The board is fortunate and grateful for the spirit he brings forth and the resolute manner in which he approaches any undertaking.
Jeff Van West, Board Member
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