Greater Columbia Officers
GRCR Board
Tillie Hammond - President
My name is Tillie Hammond, I have been a member of the Porsche Club of America (PCA) since October, 1997, when I married Chip. Up until February, 2025, I was a member of the Inland NorthWest Region (INWR). During my years in PCA, I have participated in Porsche Parade every year, 29 so far, I compete in AutoCross, Tech Quiz (3-time Women’s Overall winner) and we have participated in Parade Concours at least 20 times, winning many times. As for the local region, I was membership chair for 4 years – before it was all done on the computer, Member At Large for 5 years, served as Vice President of INWR for 2 years and now will serve as the initial Vice President for the Greater Columbia Region. I have planned many successful events in the Tri-City area including May Wine Tour (Billy’s Weekend), new membership meetings, river cruises and assisted on many other events. I really enjoy planning events and guiding others in the pursuit of having successful events for the region. I want to encourage all members to get involved in club activities including planning and participating in events. I want all members voices to be heard.
After all – it’s not just the cars…. it’s the people.
Melanee Johnson - Vice President
Makayla McKibben - Secretary
I started racing at 6 years old, and I have loved driving ever since. When I was younger, I decided the McLaren F1 was the only car for me. Then I said a 911 would work. While that F1 remains the dream goal, Porsche has captivated me for now. I value practicality and passed on a 911 to currently drive a 2014 Panamera Turbo Executive. When I bought it, it was a comfortable fit, and it remains a car I truly enjoy. My next planned purchase is a Panamera Sport Turismo. While it may be larger, heavier, and have a wider turning radius, it is still plenty of car for a spirited outing.
I have always had a strong desire to support the communities I am part of. That has included everything from a rather niche card game, to Dungeons & Dragons, and now the Greater Columbia Region of the Porsche Club of America. In the summer of 2024, my husband Eli and I joined a Porsche cruise that happened to pass right by our house in our tiny community. In the summer of 2025, Eli and I planned that same drive ourselves, adding points of interest along the way. For 2026, we have planned the drive again, this time with several new stops and the option of making it a two-day event.
This is my first year serving on the Board of Directors as Secretary, and I am also serving as co-chair for Communications alongside my husband Eli. My goal is to prioritize the joy and well-being of the members and the community, which directly supports the club’s health. To me, being part of the club should mean more than simply having a badge. That badge is a key to a community filled with opportunity, camaraderie, knowledge, and shared experiences.
Mike Hinton - Past President
I joined PCA Redwood Region in 2007, after I purchased my first 911, a 1987 Carrera (not my first Porsche, but that’s a different story!) For the first two years, I was a “Pano” member – I read the magazine every month, but never participated in any Redwood Region events. My first PCA event was a breakfast run on my birthday in 2010. All the attendees were super-friendly, and the Region President encouraged me to try autocross. I did and discovered that I was not very fast driver. At one of the AX events, one of the Board members asked me to be on the Nominating Committee for the next Board election. I agreed, but the next thing I knew, I was the only nominee for Secretary! As time went on, I eventually held all the EC positions in the Redwood Region, and did autocross for 9 years, winning many class trophies. It was very rewarding. That said, the most rewarding part of my PCA adventure has been the amazing people I have met, and the lasting friendships that followed. I know that it sounds like a cliché, but the most important part of PCA is not the cars, but the people!
Monte Sheppard - Member at Large -Wenatchee
1967-1968: I was a ski instructor at Mt. Pilchuck in Washington (doesn’t exist anymore). The mountain road was one-way up in the morning, and one-down in the afternoons (with few exceptions). Us ski instructors would race up the mountain road in the mornings. Captain Arthur Truman Safford, the 3rd, owned a new 1967 Porsche 911. Despite the craziness and skill of the other drivers, Art managed to beat the other racers nearly every time up the twisty and narrow road. It was a lot of fun.
I graduated from the University of Washington in December, 1972. Spent the next 3 ½ months skiing before finding a job with Western Gear Corporation. For the next 15 years, I designed control systems for heavy machinery and travelled the world, when necessary, to troubleshoot and/or develop the controls.
In the 80’s I became addicted to windsurfing. Any thoughts of having a Porsche or other kind of car were pushed aside. My vehicles of choice during those years were Dodge vans that I converted myself as windsurfing vehicles. Quite proud of my work, too, as they were inscrutable from the outside, but inside contained all that was needed for days on the Columbia river in high winds.
In 2017, I married Pat, my high school sweetheart, after 47 years of separation. It was a very good year. We were married in Arizona by my old pastor who had moved from Washington. I still windsurfed and had maintained the beautiful customized van.
In late 2020, after a layoff from windsurfing for two seasons due to neck issues and Covid, I sold the windsurfing van and bought my first Porsche. It was, and is, a 911 4S Carrera Cabriolet, Guards Red, with beige interior. I’ve put 26,000 miles on it since October ’20.
It was 2021, the next year, that Pat and I joined the Inland Northwest Porsche Region Porsche club. We had our first club drive that May.
The following year, I bought a 2019 Porsche Cayenne for my wife, Pat. It was great, with some great features, but had a few wrinkles. It also didn’t have adaptive cruise control, which her previous car, Subaru, did have. A couple of months ago, I remedied that by finding her a 2023 Porsche Cayenne with adaptive cruise control. It is also red, so we now have fleet colors.
