Pete Voss, 30
former Marine, retired singer/songwriter, WSU alumn, Gonzaga grad student, fan of film, gadget geek and PR pro, West Seattle, WA

his impact

{Influences} :: Everyone around me influences me in some way.  I consider myself a pretty open-minded individual, and I’m always exploring other people’s opinions and balancing them with my own experiences.

{Motivation} :: My wife motivates me every day to be the best person that I can be.

favorite {Place} :: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE West Seattle.  I love how residential it is, with a balance of shops and nightlife.  The families that walk around the neighborhood with their pets.  Most of all, I feel like I’m on an island and I can always escape to the beach when necessary.

{Adjectives} :: Calm, cool and collected

{Community} :: I am a huge supporter of everything local.  Whenever possible, I try to shop the local markets and shops.  Also, I engage in a lot of Seattle-based events such as festivals like West Seattle Summerfest and Bumbershoot.

{Thoughts} on life :: We all have a choice to make the world around us a better place, or not.  I believe life tests your choice.

No one knows how he does it, but with his lovely new wife, new house, pup, full time job and grad school work, Pete still finds the time to rave about and partake in all that West Seattle has to offer. He’s the quintessential West Seattleite. Follow him on twitter @petevosspr, linked in, or catch up with him on his blog http://petevosspr.com/.

Oona Rokyta, 28
PR/Marketing Director, Seattle, WA

her impact

{Influences} :: Nature, my parents, Madeleine Albright, Yvon Chouinard, Steve Prefontaine, and a number of generally random people I meet along the way.

{Motivation} :: Everyone around me that seeks a challenge. I love testing my boundaries – intellectually, physically, and emotionally. Anyone who does the same and strives to make the most of their time and potential is my motivation. I usually keep a number of quotes nearby that inspire me to use my head, heart, and creativity in making a positive difference.

favorite {Place} :: I have a number of favorite places for different moods, but right now my favorite place in the city is hiking in Discovery Park. It’s so close by and helps you think – or just catch up with a good friend. Plus my dog loves running the 3-mile loop with me.

{Adjectives} :: Thoughtful, energetic, positive

{Community} :: I participate in or volunteer for at least 5 local runs/marathons per year – dog-friendly whenever possible. I have been on a local animal adoption group board. I’m working with a number of other local animal adoption groups in the area through my pet insurance company, Healthy Paws Pet Insurance. I support Washington Trails Association and two dog park associations.

I’ve taught spin classes at 2 local gyms. I support all my friends in their local endeavors – athletic, artistic or otherwise. I try to buy local and frequent our farmers’ markets regularly. I participated in the Cascade Bicycle Club Bike to Work challenge this past (very soggy) year. There’s probably more… but I’ll leave it at that.

{Thoughts} on life :: Live it. Find those things you are passionate about and then those ways in which you can contribute positively, and spend time doing them.

You can follow Oona on twitter to learn more about her. Her impact was suggested by Charlynn Duecy, otherwise known as west seattle: the foodie.

Joyce Blau, 81
mother, grandma, great grandma, Corpus Christi, TX

her impact

{Influences} :: A good sense of humor, people who are be kind of ‘loosie goosie’, those who enjoy a good time, like to have a little vino. Have a little joy in your life while you wander along the trail.

{Motivation} ::  To sail along like a duck and not get my bottom wet. Not get into any trouble, not hurt anybody, not be a bitch and that’s about it.

favorite {Place} :: {in a moment of nostalgia} the group over there at the budget shop off of Wayside over in Harrisburg in Houston.

{Adjectives} :: Nitpicky. Verbose. Intuitive. (and when you open it up for input from the fam, we get: kind, calm, loving.)

{Community} :: by storytelling and keeping the stories alive.

{Thoughts} on life :: It’s not a bad show. We’ve got good stuff coming along to keep things interesting and I sure am glad to be here amongst all these beautiful people.

Today is my Nana’s 81st birthday. We’re all in Corpus Christi celebrating with chocolate cake and chocolate icing, several glasses of Texas’ finest merlots, a few bars “i’ll fly away” and a good chunk of memories about how much she loved Mr. Blau (her father-in-law and good friend). I’ve heard about him all my life and I hope to meet him one day in heaven. To keep up with some other things my Nana says, check out #thingsmynanasays on twitter.  This is a temporary photo until I get home and get to download some others from my camera.

Sarah Boyd, 27
teacher of the deaf, Fort Worth, TX

her impact

{Influences} :: My family who raised me to be compassionate and creative, my church who challenges me to not only seek the kingdom of God but create it here and now, and my friends who help me listen for and achieve my calling, and those just plain refresh me.

{Motivation} ::  Some mornings I wake up and roll over and say “I don’t want to go to school!”. My husband then will then reply  “If you don’t go to school I know someone who’ll be very disappointed. Who will G. hug if you’re not there?” l’m motivated by one boy who needs a hug (or several). And that’s enough.

favorite {Place} :: Downtown Cowtown. Especially on the patio of any resturant on a nice evening.

{Adjectives} :: Vintage (not me but my design), nurturing, crafty (and if cupcakey was an adjective I’d use that too).

{Community} :: I strive to create a community in my classroom. One of my greatest joys in teaching was when one of my 2 year olds started crying and another small child came over to them and handed them a tissue. If every year I can have one moment like that one, I know I’ve created  the community I hoped to.

{Thoughts} on life :: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”  Helen Keller

SarahJack (now Boyd) was my freshman roommate in college. Good times, good time. You can keep up with Sarah’s adventures over on blogger: http://aboydblogs.blogspot.com/.

Marilyn Nieves, 30 something
photographer, Atlanta, GA

her impact

{Influences} :: My family and closest friends. Music. Photographers.

{Motivation} ::  My kids. My desire to succeed at everything I set out to do. To be the best example I can be for them. Overcoming stereotypical barriers. Self-fullfilled happiness.

favorite {Place} :: Anywhere I’m riding my motorcycle.

{Adjectives} :: adventurous, independent, caring, goofy and yes I can be a smartass

{Community} :: Online or offline, as a photographer, I will help anyone that asks for help as long as they are trying to find the answers for themselves and aren’t just looking for the quick answer sheet from me.

I volunteer with OPR when my time allows. It’s an organization that helps disaster victims rescue/restore their most precious photos… many times of relatives that are no longer alive and the photo could very well be the only remembrance of their loved one.

{Thoughts} on life :: I really like this quote by Jose Ortega y Gasset. “Life is a series of collisions with the future; it is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be.”

Mari contributed this photo to the We Impact project, but check out the other photos she’s contributed to the world… Her work can be found at istockphoto.com and suspendedimage.com. Brilliant photographer she is…

Chris Hollis, 25
PR professional/blogger, Detroit, MI by way of Seattle, WA

his impact

{Influences}:: When it comes to my writing, my biggest influence is my Dad. He’s the one who got me started on Detroit sports and who I grew up attending games with. I lost him to cancer almost 10 years ago, and when I write, it’s as if I am having a conversation with him. The evolution of the blog, the message and the understanding of what it means to be a fan, not just of the game but of the community, all comes from his efforts to introduce me to sports and the city of Detroit, and it’s one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received.

{Motivation} ::  I think my biggest motivation is to be excellent at what I do, despite not being able to physically be around the teams I cover. Living in Seattle and being a fan of Detroit has been an incredibly difficult undertaking. The pulse of Detroit works in rhythm with its sports teams, and to not be there makes my job that much more difficult. But it’s also helped me relate to the audience of Detroit fans who are displaced too. I’m just trying to be a voice for all of those folks that are just like me: passionate but displaced.

favorite {Place} :: {Detroit}: Hockeytown Café –When you walk into Hockeytown Cafe, there’s no mistaking what city you are in. It’s a bar/museum with tons of memorabilia, and whenever the Tigers or Red Wings are playing, it’s packed to the gills with Detroit fans. It’s also right across the street from Comerica Park, so getting to the games is incredibly easy.  It’s always one of my first stops whenever I’m in Motown.

{Seattle}: Top Pot Doughnuts – I’m a HUGE fan of their coffee and the Double Trouble doughnut. Plus, each of their stores are relaxed and comfy, perfect for reading a book with a regular coffee or doing some writing with an Americano in hand.

{Adjectives} :: Opinionated, Thoughtful, Passionate.

{Community} :: {Detroit}: One of my favorite things about the city of Detroit is the architecture. There are so many fabulous old buildings in the downtown area, yet many of them have fallen into disrepair and haven’t been occupied in many, many years. With the economy of the city struggling, many of these buildings have become targets of the wrecking ball. However, some groups are doing the right thing by renovating these classic buildings instead of building something new in their place.  I’ve really started focusing a lot of time and effort into educating myself on the issues surrounding these landmarks, and helping to put out the word and raise awareness when another one is slated to be torn down. The history of the city is something that should be preserved.

{Seattle}: I’m actually preparing to start working with The First Tee, which provides young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop skills such as confidence, perseverance and judgment through golf and character education. I love golfing and I love working with kids, so this is a great opportunity for me.

{Thoughts} on life :: Do things your own way. So often in our society something becomes “cool” or the “it” thing to do, and overnight there are “experts” telling you how to be THAT much cooler or have an even bigger impact, based on their methods. My advice is to do it the way you want to do it, no matter what it is. It’s going to take work. And it’s going to take time. But in the end, you can look at what you have accomplished and realize that you created whatever it is that you wanted to, and that nobody else can claim it as theirs. That’s accomplishment.

Great guy this Chris Hollis, and quite the sports fan too. To learn more about him and/or to keep up with all things Tigers, Lions, Redwings, Wolverines, etc., be sure to follow him on twitter @chollis and check out his blog: http://sleeplessinmichigan.wordpress.com.

Barbra Denniston, 26 
caseworker for the Department of Family and Protective Services, Houston, Texas

her impact

{Influences}:: My parents really influence my desire to do good honest work in whatever i’m involved in. The thing i’ve always been proudest of in myself and most admiring of in other people is a good work ethic and consistency between values and actions. I see these things in my parents and credit them with its (hopeful) development in me.

{Motivation} ::  I like it when systems work. Any kind- family systems, financial systems, friendship and relationship systems, communication systems, justice systems. I like to be involved in finding glitches in any of  those that i can and helping the people involved fix the glitches themselves and sustain them.

favorite {Place} :: Houston is definitely not known for its crisp clean skyline. But there are several places i have come across in my job where the intersection of two major highways provides the perfect elevation and angle to see the skyline at its proudest, with no views of construction or the thousands of OTHER highway intersections. On a clear day and with fingers crossed, there are times when i come to these points and i can see every window of every downtown building, and the skyline is clear and colorful and busy and welcoming and i am proud to live here.

{Adjectives} :: I am logical, laughable, and content.

{Community} :: I work with abused kids and their parents and relatives. Thru that, i’ve been able to work with other agencies involved in this kind of thing- the family court system, public aid agencies, community providers like therapists and drug treatment centers, and private child advocate organizations. Houston is a pretty diverse place and i’m lucky enough to have a diverse group of friends because of it. They’ve shown me a lot of multicultural events and festivals that i mite not have known about otherwise.I also found a great group of returned Peace Corps Volunteers around here and we try to meet up and relive some things so we don’t let those memories fade. I will definitely miss this place when the day comes to move on. And those days always come i think..

{Thoughts} on life :: There are probably three philosophies that guide my life more than anything else. The first is that what you get out of life isn’t determined by where you go, but by who you are. You can see whatever corner of the world you want to, but you have to be willing to learn. And you can learn a lot from your front porch if you pay attention.

The second would be that life only gets better. I love being exactly where I am and i’m content; I have no regrets about where i’ve been because its helped make me who i am at this moment; and i can’t wait to see what else life will bring in my next sixty years.

And finally, I don’t believe in the Grass is Greener syndrome. There is good and bad to every situation in life and i think if you keep all of it in mind, you don’t sway too much toward idealism or disillusionment. I think balance is an important part of contentment.

Barbra Ann Denniston is awesome and has a million fun pictures on Facebook. Check her out.

Daniel Moore, 33
financial advisor, Fort Worth, TX

his impact

{Influences} :: Primarily the Bible.  Aside from that: teachers who actually teach; people who overcome difficulties in their lives with faith, hope, and perseverance; and friends who I know will love me no matter what happens.

{Motivation} ::  God’s love for a humanity that constantly rejects Him.

favorite {Place} :: In Fort Worth, it’s Southside Preservation Hall.  Tuesday nights that don’t include SPH just are not complete.  In Dallas, it’s Nana’s.  Sentimental reasons I hope last a lifetime. : )

{Adjectives} :: I always see this question as best answered by those who know you best.  We are bad judges of who we truly are because either we are trained to show the good or we can only see the bad.  As I hope to be seen: faithful, gentle, and loving.

{Community} :: I aspire to be a dance instructor, a film editor, a screen writer, a playwright, a song writer (maybe), a musician, a husband, and a father.  I currently participate by being a critic or hopefully an encouragement to those already creating in those areas.

{Thoughts} on life :: Life is best lived without owning anything.  If you see yourself as merely a steward of things belonging to someone else you will probably take better care of them.

You can find Daniel at SPH on Tuesday nights and on Facebook. This photo was pulled from his Facebook account.

Landon Lovingfoss, 30
engineer, Houston, TX

his impact

{Influences} :: My parents, grandfather, and professional peers motivate me to be a successful person in life. I would like to be a person that has an impact on something no matter how miner it may be. I would also like to be a loving father and husband for someone someday. Until then I will remain relatively selfish and focus just on myself.

{Motivation} ::  To be successful/wealthy in life. I would define the aforementioned adjectives by saying the following: Making those who inspire me, and love me proud of the person that i am professionaly and personaly. I have a couple definitions of wealthy, they encompass monetary satisfaction as well as self-fulfillment. If I can live life with no financial woes, and still be able to do everything that my heart desires I will be happy. I want my parents to be proud of me.

favorite {Place} :: Museums, the gym and Parks.

{Adjectives} :: Outgoing, active, and provoking.

{Community} :: I recycle.

{Thoughts} on life :: I think life is precious, because of the time I get to spend with the people I love and admire. Also witnessing and experiencing the wonders that the world has to offer is truly awesome.

Landon works in the transporations field and has a dog named Lola who – he says – is totally awesome most of the time. He sent us this photo, which we’re using because he said we could.

Mark Kendall, 52
senior software engineer, Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association, Plano, TX,

his impact

{Influences}:: My beautiful wife Chelly, and two kids: Stevie (16) and Melissa (22). Author Peter Small.

{Motivation} ::  Money; Success;  and the Bible.

favorite {Place} :: Plano Senior High School track – more commonly referred to as “Kendall Stadium” where I run at least three times a week. I’ve logged over 10,000 miles in my lifetime and am aspiring for another 10.

{Adjectives} :: Driven. Silly. Weird.

{Community} :: I volunteer with kids at the local school facilities – from building sets to selling tickets. I enjoy being involved in the ins and outs of the education system and getting know the people who influence my children. I also participate in the technology community – helping individuals to understand web 2.0.  and other aspects of programming.

{Thoughts} on life :: Life for me can best be described as fast and furious.  I think that when you die if no one remembers you, you never lived. I also live by the philosophy that life has not limits, except those you choose to acknowledge.

My true passion in life is raising my children to be the best that they can be. Watching their impact has and will be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

You can also find Kendall at kendallsoft.com where he owns and moderates a place for technological smarties to hang out. He’s also been known to tweet from time to time @kendallsoft. Check him out. This IMPACT was suggested by Liz Parks.