ACU Foundation

Amber Young is the Community Engagement Specialist at ACU and a native of Thurston County. Amber began her career with America’s Credit Union in 2009 where her position allowed her the opportunity to help members reach their financial goals.

In 2011, Amber took a position in the Marketing Department at ACU where she helped members on a personal level and worked within the community to help support nonprofits, servicemembers and businesses in our area.

Amber is currently the President of the DuPont- Steilacoom subchapter of the Association of the United States Army, holds position on the Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is involved with multiple committees working with local businesses to bring value to our communities.

With the help of her colleagues and ACU Business Partners, Amber coordinates the ACU Annual Charity Golf Tournament, The Turkey Shoot. This tournament raises an average of $50,000 for Joint Base Lewis McChord charities and has been held since 2000. The success of this tournament has led to the creation of the ACU Foundation. As Chairman, she and the other members of the board will raise funds to improve the lives of all of our community members.

Dan Nicholson, a native of the Tacoma area and a graduate of the University of Washington, started his company Dzines, after years of research and strategic planning. He formed the idea after experiencing a multitude of entry-level and professional careers including healthcare, restaurants, hospitality, and criminal justice to name a few. During this time Dan realized the importance and the need for quality products and services to help businesses, teams and organizations grow. Today, we are supported by a network of sales professionals and product manufacturers with decades of experience in virtually every trade imaginable.

Joshua Howen is a Board member for the ACU Foundation. When he was 19 years old, Joshua became a “Big Brother” for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. This sparked his desire for serving his community. Joshua found himself wanting to do more for his community, country and himself and joined the military as a Military Policeman. After his service, Joshua found a new way to engage in the military community through serving on the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited as an executive board member who chairs their Veterans Service Partnership for the State of Washington. Joshua loves spending time exploring the PNW, fishing and hiking with his children. Joshua is excited to further his passion for helping veterans, service-members and their families through his position with the ACU Foundation.

Nick Parsons was born and raised in Yelm. Nick attended Washington State University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a master’s in accounting at Eastern Washington University. With fifteen years of mortgage lending experience, he knows what it takes to purchase a home, and is well versed in the difficulties consumers may experience when trying to do so. As a frequent volunteer in the Yelm area, he is involved with All Kids Win, 10 Weeks of Summer, Yelm Dollars for Scholars, Prairie PTO, and the Thurston County Youth Football League.

A Thurston County Native, Wayne has been the General Manager of Uptown Lounge in Yelm, WA, since 2018. With more than 20 years of restaurant experience, the position of GM has come natural to him. A bachelor’s in business studies from Washington State University has also come in handy with these endeavors. Wayne also has a passion for helping others. Through his work with the Keg Spirit Foundation, he has raised over $35,000 to support people in need, including families with a loved one battling leukemia. A proud supporter of our Armed Forces, Wayne hopes to bring his charitable experience to the ACU Foundation and make strides in improving the quality of life for the service members of JBLM.

Bill DeVore joined the ACU Foundation as a Board Member in 2024. Owner of the 507 Taproom in Yelm, WA, Bill is no stranger to hosting charitable events. Bill frequently hosts charitable functions at his location in Yelm and is passionate about supporting our Service Members. “Many of the folks who come through in Yelm are Veterans,” says Bill. “Providing them a place to relax, unwind, and forget about the stress they are under when protecting our country is the main mission of 507; a mission we do not take lightly. I am excited to be on The Board for The ACU Foundation so that I can continue to support our troops locally.”