Betsy Black joined the Emerge Board of Directors in 2022.  Betsy was born and raised in the Coeur d’Alene area.  She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Lewis Clark State College and her Juris Doctorate through the University of Idaho, School of Law. She has a family law practice in Coeur d’Alene and is a certified civil and child custody mediator.  She supports our local art community by serving as the Chair on the board of directors for Emerge. 

Mark Rakes has been a director on the Emerge Board since its inception in 2015 and currently serves as Secretary. Originally from El Paso, Texas, he moved with his family to Coeur d’Alene in 1985. He has worked in software engineering for the last 20 years. Mark is a founding board member of the Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities PTO, which has raised over $500,000 in funds specifically to support an Arts and Humanities-focused school curriculum. He is also currently the Vice President of the Board of the Coeur d’Alene Education Partnership, an organization formed to support quality and excellence in Coeur d’Alene schools. He holds an AA Degree with an emphasis in Music Theory and Composition from North Idaho College, and a dual BS in Computer Science/Computer Information. In his spare time, Mark still actively plays music and hopes that through his involvement with Emerge he will someday learn to paint.

Tom Perkins has been on the Emerge Board since 2018. Tom and his wife have had a home in Coeur d’Alene since 2003. Tom retired in 2018 from Core-Mark International, Inc., a Publicly Traded Fortune 250 company where he served as the Chief Executive Officer and board member. His 25 years of experience with Core-Mark encompassed finance, sales, operations, strategy, investor relations, M& and board management. Tom held a variety of positions over his 25-year career with Core-Mark; Controller, Division President, Vice President of US Divisions, and Senior Vice President – Resources prior to being named President and CEO in January 2013. Tom worked in a variety of financial roles prior to joining Core-Mark. He worked for Arthur Andersen & Co and was a CPA in the state of California. He was part of PepsiCo’s Corporate audit group and was the Controller for Pepsi Cola Bottling Group’s Southern California Business Unit. Tom serves on the Northern Arizona University Foundation Board. He received his bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in 1980.

Michelle joined the Emerge Board of Directors in 2025. Born and raised in the Coeur d’Alene area, she has a deep love for the local community and the creative energy that Emerge brings to it. With a background in both billing and public service, she’s spent several years in people-centered roles and values the connection between art and community impact. She enjoys traveling, staying active, and is passionate about supporting local artists and creative spaces.