About Preston
A Proven Prosecutor. A Trusted Leader.
For more than a decade, Preston McCollam has dedicated his career to protecting the people of Spokane County, standing up for crime victims, and holding dangerous offenders accountable.
Serving Spokane County
About Preston McCollam
Preston McCollam currently serves as the Prosecuting Attorney for Spokane County, where he leads roughly 65 attorneys and as many support staff in one of the busiest prosecutor’s offices in Washington. He has overseen Spokane’s most serious and complex cases, including violent crime, drug trafficking, and crimes against children, while prioritizing the protection of victims and community safety.
Born to hardworking parents with humble beginnings, the McCollam family has long valued honesty, integrity, and hard work. Preston’s father was a combat infantryman in Vietnam and, in between earning a post-war living as a heavy equipment operator, logger, and long-haul truck driver, he served over decades as a missionary to Central America where he met Preston’s mother. A native of Honduras, she proudly earned her U.S. citizenship in the early 1990s, becoming a court-certified interpreter and eventually a Job Corps teacher in northern Washington.
Preston began his prosecutorial career in Benton County in 2013 before joining the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office in 2015. He worked in various units in the office before getting to the Major Crime and Gang Unit where he spent five of the best years of his career. He has handled thousands of felony cases and tried some of the county’s most dangerous offenders, working closely with law enforcement at every level to bring justice to victims and accountability to criminals.
In addition to his prosecutorial work, Preston served as an Adjunct Professor at Gonzaga University School of Law from 2015 to 2022, where he taught trial advocacy and mentored future attorneys. His professional background also reflects a lifetime of service: he volunteered more than 3,000 hours at Lakeland Village in Medical Lake, served as a wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska and Oregon, and has been a consistent advocate for youth and community programs.
A proven leader, Preston was asked to step into senior management at a time of national prosecutor shortages, where he successfully prioritized violent crime and sex crimes, ensuring resources were focused where they mattered most. His reputation is one of integrity, grit, and fairness: a prosecutor who works tirelessly to restore public trust in the justice system.
Above all, Preston is deeply committed to Spokane County because it is his home. As a husband and father of four, Preston is personally invested in Spokane’s future. He and his wife are raising their family here, and his vision for public safety is rooted in ensuring that Spokane remains a place where families can thrive without fear.
Explore the Vision
Experience
A Career Built on Experience
Preston’s career has never been about headlines. It has been about doing the work.
Over the years, Preston has earned a reputation as an experienced prosecutor and trusted partner to law enforcement. He has worked closely with local, state, and federal agencies to strengthen relationships, improve coordination, and ensure those responsible for serious crimes are held accountable.
His experience extends beyond the courtroom. Before becoming Prosecutor, Preston served in senior leadership roles within the Prosecutor’s Office, including Chief Criminal Deputy and Interim Civil Chief. He has also helped train law enforcement and prosecutors throughout the region and served as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law.
That combination of courtroom experience, management, and leadership prepared Preston to lead one of the largest law offices in Eastern Washington.
Leadership
Leadership When It Matters
Preston believes leadership is revealed when the decisions are difficult and the pressure is greatest.
Throughout his career, he has approached those moments with the same philosophy: follow the facts, apply the law, and do what is right.
Being Prosecutor comes with tremendous authority, but Preston believes that authority must always be accompanied by humility, sound judgment, and accountability to the public. Every decision made by the Prosecutor’s Office can have a profound impact on a victim, a defendant, a family, and the broader community.
That responsibility is never lost on him.
Preston is willing to listen, willing to make difficult decisions, and willing to stand his ground when the safety of Spokane County is at stake. He believes justice should be pursued without fear or favor, and that politics or ideology should never determine how the law is enforced.
Service
Victims at the Center
For Preston, public safety is about more than statistics. Behind every criminal case is a victim, a family, and a community affected by what happened.
That is why Preston believes victims must have a meaningful voice throughout the criminal justice process.
Whether prosecuting violent offenders, strengthening partnerships with law enforcement, or improving the operations of the Prosecutor’s Office, Preston remains focused on the people the justice system exists to serve.
His goal is straightforward: fewer victims, safer neighborhoods, greater accountability, and a justice system worthy of the public’s trust.
Proven Prosecutor. Stronger Spokane.
Leadership Measured by the Work.
Preston has spent his career serving Spokane County. He knows its communities, understands the challenges facing law enforcement and prosecutors, and has the real-world experience necessary to lead.
For Preston, being County Prosecutor is more than a job. It is a responsibility to the families, children, businesses, and neighborhoods that make Spokane County home.
Every day, he works to leave the Prosecutor’s Office and the community it serves stronger than he found them.
Because ultimately, Preston believes the measure of a Prosecutor is not what they promise. It is what they do when the safety of their community is on the line.
Stand With Preston
Help Build a Safer, Stronger Spokane County.
Join Preston and help us continue building a Spokane County where families feel safe, victims know someone is fighting for them, and criminals know they will be held accountable.